


Searching

by Midnightdragon2



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Before season 1, M/M, Mild Language, Pre-Canon, Slow Burn, Tinker is called Apollo for half of the story, re-post
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-03-27 14:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19014352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnightdragon2/pseuds/Midnightdragon2
Summary: One is a moonshadow assassin, the other a sunfire smith. One doesn't know how to fight, one doesn't know what to fight for. But when an ancient and important weapon is stolen, and the two are sent to retrieve it, perhaps both can learn.





	1. Origins

**Author's Note:**

> I deleted the last story on accident so now I have to start from scratch! I hate this but I suppose it gives me a chance to edit and adjust chapters.... Hope y'all enjoy the updated version!

Runaan watched his opponent with a deadly focus, watching, waiting for the moment to strike. The students sitting around the fighting faded from his sight as he focused solely on the one in front of him.

The instructor shouted "Attack!" And in that moment, Runaan took the wooden training sword he had and rushed forward, ducking beneath the other student's sword and blocking with his own.

Runaan slid on the ground for only a second, before kicking at the other student's leg and making him drop.

The opponent rolled out of the way quickly, but Runaan caught hold of the sword's handle and pulled free. A moment later, Runaan held both wooden swords at the other's throat, and the battle was won.

"The winner is Runaan." The instructor announced as Runaan took a step back, and handed the weapons back to the second instructor. He took his seat back around the circle, just as his opponent did. The other's friends began mocking him, Runaan knew they were. Two years younger than those in this class, yet still two years ahead. No one ever saw that though.

With a sigh, Runaan settled down again in his spot. Let them talk.

They knew nothing.

 

* * *

 

"Apollo"

The sunfire lifted his head as he was called. "Er... yes?" He asked, tilting his head.

Riku, his mentor, stood in the doorway of the workshop, holding a mangled knife in his hand.

Oh.

Whoops.

Apollo shot up from the chair to take the knife with a loud "Sorry, Sorry! I didn't mean to-" he winced as pain shot through his leg when he stepped on it bad but still he managed to make it to Riku without limping. He received a smile in response, as well as an exasperated sigh.

"What's been on your mind?" Riku asked, helping Apollo through the doorway and into the forge part of the shop.

Apollo froze, debating whether he should tell before sighing anf giving in. "I've been wanting to go to the fire ring." He admitted. "I know my work's been paying for it but I've really wanted to go."

"Well, I suppose it would be pointless to keep you here." Riku shrugged, sticking the knife back into the furnace with a shrug. Apollo felt his stop momentarily with excitement, but before he could say anything, Riku added "Just he careful."

Apollo cheered and practically ran out of the forge, then past the tables in the front of the shop revealing varying weapons, and further out the door.

He weaved past multiple people headed in the same direction, excitement fueling him to ignore even the pain that lit up his left leg with with every running step. The fire ring was an event that happened only once every year at the start of the summer.

The sunfire home was always warm, lava lined the streets in little cracks, which made the stone incredibly hot like most sunfire elves liked, most the houses and shops had at least one fire going at all times as well, but there was nothing quite like the heat of the fire ring, where everyone would gather to watch this years cadets to graduate into being full sunfire soldiers for Xadia.

People were already gathering when Apollo showed up, and he had to push past some to a good view, but the fire ring was just that, a giant ring of ever-flame in the center of the sunfire home. There were two ways to exit and leave, on opposite sides there was a break in the circle, but currently one side was blocked by a giant archway made of coal, and a path of coal as well. Multiple cadets were standing by the other entrance, most talking excitedly amongst themselves over what was about to happen.

"Apollo!" Someone called. Apollo turned, only to find Kira heading his way. She was one of the sunfire smiths working with Riku, and while she wasn't around as often as other's, she was still well known around. "You coming to watch?" She asked.

Apollo nodded vigorously. "Riku gave me permission." This was the first year he was doing this alone, since he had missed the last year and the years before his father usually went with him, so he was actually happy to see the smith.

"Well that's good." She chuckled, before offering a hand. "Want a lift?" She didn't wait for him to nod before she was picking him up like he was nothing and setting him on her shoulders, where he could watch even better than before.

"Thanks." He said with a smile, settling.

"Of course." She hummed "But now it's time to quiet down."

The ceremony was starting.


	2. Stolen

The full moon glowed overhead.

Runaan jumped from tree to tree silently and with speed and deadliness known only to moonshadow elves. The youngest, and therefore the last, of the assassin team. Only twenty two, yet he had been on over 6 missions, even when others only went on maybe one or two at this age. And still, still, he was positioned at the back.

Watching the team's back, sure, but he'd rather be in the middle or the front, where there's a better chance of action and use. Back here he was just wasting breath.

The team stopped at the edge of the treeline. Runaan perched on a branch in a straight line and looked over the building in front of them. A large house with at least a hundred rooms.

Excessive.

Especially for one man and some guards.

The man they were after was notorious for funding the human's efforts in the war, but he was incredibly paranoid and had multiple guards in the house, even if it was just him.

That was why an entire assassin team was sent to kill him.

The details of who the qman was were slim, in fact the orders the team was given was "Assume no one is innocent."

Runaan watched the team leader and the team healer, conversing with little words and more hand motions. Signals.

Runaan didn't pay half as much attention to the conversation as he needed to the conversation, instead watching for the single signal that meant attack.

It didn't come for a near minute, but Runaan tensed when the leader lifted an open hand.

And once the hand closed into a fist, he darted just as the other's did, letting the moon's light rush through him just at it shone on him, and shifting into his shadow walking form midair.

The guards outside were the first to fall, just a quick shot from Runaan's bow was enough.  
He put the bow in his back as he walked past the dying men, and instead brought out his set of swords from their scabbard at his sides. He granted them a quicker death, slicing their heads off in a single, swift motion. He didn't retrieve the arrows. He didn't need them.

Let it be one last gift to the fallen.

He followed the rest of his team through the doorway as the healer and the leader pushed it open quietly. Runaan froze when he saw no guards inside. Not a single person... So much for that little piece of information...

In front of them wasn't the same door as was told to be there. Instead, two doors. Two halls.

"We'll need to split up." The leader said. "Skia," he looked at the healer expectantly, who looked back easily. "You take Claven, and Runaan left, I'll take Avery and Roras right."

The healer nodded, and led the way through the left door. Runaan shared a look with Claven before following.

Again, the halls were empty. Even the rooms they checked. Something was definitely off. "I'll continue ahead." He said, looking to Skia for confirmation, who nodded. With just that, he darted down the hall, his swords at the ready.

As he ran down the hall, he took note of certain things, of course, but the lack of soldiers and guards greatly troubled him. 

Finally, he reached the master bedroom, right where it was told to be. He put away one sword in order to havw access ro his bow instead, then silently slid open the door. The room was also empty.

Except for a figure beneath the covers, and the little spike of brown barely shown from the pillow.

Runaan approached silently, letting go of the bow and using the sword he had to pull the covers from over the sleeping form.

He gasped sharply, taking a step back as he gazed upon the face of a child. Barely even six, perhaps.

No one had told him that this would be a child! 

 

* * *

 

Apollo glared at the hilt of the dagger he was working on. The hilt was hollow, so doing anything to it, such as securing the grip, could ruin the whole thing.

He jumped with a loud yelp, nearly dropping the weapon as the door to the forge opened, and in stepped Riku. The pld elf had aged even more in the past ten years, for sure, but Apollo never cared. "Uh, hi!" Apollo greeted, fumbling to catch the dagger before it hit the floor. Riku chuckled, then caught it easily and inspected it with a pleased a smile.

"Hi yourself, Apollo." He said sparing a look at Apollo before looking at the weapon again. "I didn't mean to interrupt you while you worked, but I believe we need to talk."  
Well that didn't sound good...

"Um... Sure..." He mumbled, standing up to take the dagger back, only for Riku to take a step back and keep it out of Apollo's reach. Apollo took another step forward, only for Rilu to draw back again. And thus it becamea matter of chase.

"It's about your apprenticeship."

Apollo froze midstep, the room suddenly going cold. "I-what is it?" He asked.

"Don't be so worried." Riku assured, placing a hand on Apollo's shoulder. The touch was all it took to warm the room again. "We were discussing if you were ready to graduate past apprenticeship."

Apollo's very arcanum jumped at that, and he looked up with bright brown eyes excitedly."Are you serious?" He asked. This wasn't some joke?

"Yes. But... we have concerns." And just like that, Tinker's arcanum dropped again. Riku continued still. "You have heart, and you're good at smithing. No one can take that from you. You're dedicated. But... you don't... you haven't ever handled a weapon before."

Tinker almost protested, but Riku gave no option for it. "I mean as in using one. You've never fought with one."

Apollo could hear his heart beating in his chest, thundering like a skywing's storm as he asked "But why would I need to handle a weapon?" He wasn't cut out for that sort of thing.

"Because how can you expect to make a weapon that works if you can't weild one correctly?"

A pause. Apollo frowned, looking down at his leg doubtfully. A sliver of metal caught the light. Riku caught sight of Apollo's gaze, then sighed.

"'Pol, I know it's be hard since, well... Your dad and all.." Apollo frowned further, again changing the temperature of the room, and Riku gave up. "Yell ya what, you go ahead and head to the fire ring, take your mind off this for the night, and I'll expect a decision tomorrow, alright?"

Apollo stayed quiet, absorbed into his own thoughts. Smith's weren't fighters. They were never meant to be. They just made the weapons for fighters so why did he have to learn to use one? He made plenty of great weapons without knowing whatever techniques there were of wielding it!  
He barely heard Riku say "Alright." Before setting the dagger down and walking out of the room.

Apollo stayed put for a moment, before sighing and following out the door.

He didn't try to talk to anyone as he passed through the door into the main shop, and outside. Unlike ten years ago, when he had been far more excited to see the ceremony, now he hesitated and held back from going to see. 

He settled at the edge of the crowd, managing to hop onto a little stool to watch as the cadets stood on one side and the teachers stood on the other. The oldest of the teachers leaned down, pressed a hand onto the coal path, and said "Ignis!"

The coal path suddenly lit to flame, lighting the already blazing circle. The coal archway was next to burst aflame, the fire rising up from the bottom and swallowing the entire thing whole.

People around the circle cheered, but Apollo didn't. He wouldn't.

Cheering had lost it's appeal years ago, it was the same thing. Except this time, this class of cadets was his age. 20 years old.

If fate had been different, Apollo would've been in this group.

The ceremony always involved the cadets running over the fiery coals and through the archway. From then on, they would always be considered a sunfire soldier.

A speech was given, but Apollo didn't listen much to it, it was nut a simple repeat of what the cadets had accomplished during the years and whatnot. Basic stuff.

It was only when the actual ceremony started that Apollo paid attention.

The first cadet rushed towards the fire. He didn't hesitate as he ran over it and passed beneath the archway. People cheered and clapped. Behind the first was a second. Then a third. But while Apollo used to love this, and would once cheer as loud as the rest of tge watchers, over the years he began enjoying it less and less. Each time they ran, it was a reminder that Apollo couldn't. Smiths weren't fighters.

As the night went on, Apollo only felt more and more dampened as more and more people ran, until there was only one left.

This one, like Apollo, had pale brown hair and dark brown eyes, not an uncommon trait with sunfire's. His marks were bright yellow and swirled over his neck and arms like curled spikes. Yet despite the daring markings, this one seemed absolutely terrified.

Apollo leaned forward as he watched the cadet run at the coal, only to stop just as he reached the flame, then look over it with a worse look than before. He backed away.

People began shouting, calling "Just Do It Already!" And "Go On!" But still, the other didn't move, and just stared.  
Apollo frowned when people started shouting "Coward!"

Sunfire elves were touch reliant, and in general they loved attention but they were tough when it came to bravery. Backing down from a fight would paint you as a coward. Backing away from this...

Apollo couldn't watch.

He got down off the place he had found for himself, stumbling a little as his landed, before sighing and turning to head back to the shop. Just as he left, though, the greatest uproar happened im his life as people began yelling profanities and saying words much worse than coward as the fire was suddenly dimmed. The cadet had backed down.

Apollo shook his head and turned his back to it all. He had no business being there anyway.  
Smith's weren't fighters.

 

* * *

 

No one was happy as they made their way back from the mission, least of all Runaan.  
He strayed behind when the leader walked ahead along with the Skia the healer, Claven, Avery, and Roras. No one said anything until, finally, Runaan's anger boiled over. Picking up speed, he made his way to walk next to the leader, who only glanced back with a displeased expression. So, of course, Runaan spoke up. "That was a child."

"Yes, it was." The leader said, his voice having a barely hidden edge as he continued. "But that didn't matter. You were told to kill him. And you didn't."

Runaan's shoulder still hurt from where Skia roughly pushed him back in order to deal the final blow when Runaan refused to. He still saw the child's terror as it caught sight of Runaan.

"Why were we killing a child?" Runaan questioned. This was frustrating. And his tone reflected that frustration well.

It didn't go well with the leader as he suddenly whirled around to look at Runaan seriously. "He was funding the war. Because of him, thousands have died. That child is not as innocent as he seems." To anger a team leader was a terrible idea, but Runaan glared back, ready to make his point known.

"Children can be easily manipulated, but there is never bad in their hearts from the start. What if we only killed the puppet, and the mastermind behind the strings was the one we were supposed to-" He was cut of roughly when the leader suddenly kicked him in the chest, and despite Runaan's dodging ability the other was faster. Before Runaan knew it, he was being thrust against the trunk of a tree.

The back of his head hit hard, leaving him dazed for a moment, but he still glared back and prepared for a fight. The leader didn't provide any opportunities though, and held Runaan still. "You do not question, you just kill." The leader hissed, only for Runaan to hiss back. The leader smacked Runaan upside the head for that, whilst keeping Runaan's arms pinned to keep him from blocking. "You are an assassin, not a morale speaker. Get over it." He looked behind him, to the other teammates, before saying "Skia, go ahead and tell the elders of our return. And of our struggle."

Runaan was finally let go, and he disengaged from the tree easily, but everyone else had already left. Runaan was on his own.

Fine. But what he did wasn't wrong.

He wouldn't kill a child.

 

* * *

 

Swords clashed and people yelled behind him as he rushed through the halls of the dragon king's volcano.

Morty gasped for air, but didn't stop running. Not now. Not yet. He was too close!

The wound on his side bled wildly and stung terribly as he rushed through the burning stone halls but he didn't slow and instead searched desperately for a staircase down.  
He dashed through the halls without care. If he didn't complete this, his family would pay for it. He had to do this!

He looked back behind him to make sure he wasn't followed, but the distraction the soldiers had caused was working. No one had noticed a tiny human boy with a bag slip right into the castle doors.

Except one.

A sunfire knight who had been late or something was right there when Morty stepped inside. The knight had stabbed him, that's why Morty was injured, but Morty had pulled out a knife at the same moment and stabbed the knight in the neck. Now Morty was nervous, what if the knight had somehow survived?

As he looked behind him, though, he didn't see a wall in front of him until he turned back. 

He tried to stop dead in his tracks, and he did slow considerably, but in the end he leaned forward and would've hit it. Except he didn't.  
Instead, he fell through.

Down he tumbled on dark stone stairs that hadn't been visible a moment ago. He cried out as he his every step until, finally, he managed to catch himself, but not without landing harshly on his arm. As he stood he reached over with a groan and held onto the hurt part, but touching it only made it worse.  
He walked down the rest of the stairs, his feet starting to hurt as well now..

On the bottom, he put the bag down with some difficulty and pulled out the contents of the first pocket: a jar filled with fireflies, a bowl, a gold point thing, and some other weird thing he could hardly describe.

Quickly, he put the metal piece into the bowl along with the weird thing, then followed the instructions he was told to do by his lord. "Ecnesse ruoy esuf." He said, placing the jar in front of the bowl. Everything suddenly turned purple in the bowl as he scooped the purple... whatever it was and placed it on the lid of the jar. The fireflies turned purple as well. He shook the jar and said "mutinu etna eht dnif."

He opened the lid, and the fireflies flew out, heading in a single direction and causing a line of purple to form after them. Morty couldn't help a smile, despite how hard it was getting to breathe, and followed after, practically dropping the jar but taking the bag with him. This was for his family.

As he followed, he turned many corners and ran down many more stairs, until the only light be could see was the light of the fireflies, and still he followed.

The light led right to a stone wall with no other doors, and no option but to go back.  
But the line led into the wall...He tentatively touched his hand to the wall, only for it to fall through again. He sighed with relief. An illusion. He hadn't failed yet.

He walked through the wall, and found himself in a giant hall, with a golden light shining over a staircase, that led up to a platform. On that platform was a scythe.

That must be the ante unitum.

He took a step forward, checking for traps, buf found none. Another pang in his side reminded him of the wound, and of the limited time he had. He knew a bad wound when he saw it.

So he ran. Across the long hall, onto the stairs, and onto the platform.

Without thinking, he took the scythe. It was plain silver, with dark glass-like crystal on the tip of the unitum and swirling up the staff part. Other than that, it was oddly... simple.

He didn't have much time to think, though, as there was a giant rumbling in the walls around him. Arrows poked out of the wall, and Morty gasped as one shit straight for him. He barely managed to jump down thr stairs as were more loosed, and screamed as one grazed against his back.

Even more shot at him, and more landed as he headed for the other side of the large room. The Ante Unitum slowed him, it was heavy even for a weapon, and another arrow shit right into his injured arm.

He managed to get ahead of the arrows for a moment, and he practically flung himself at the illusion wall.

He hit real rock and flinched as he fell. Wait, no. Why was it...

He pressed a hand to it, only for the rock to hold firm. Morty's eyes widened, and he glanced back at the approaching arrow line.

No.

Time was running out! He had to get out!  
He began clawing at the wall desperately, dropping the Unitum to try to get past, but still the rock wouldn't budge.

"No!" He shouted aloud. "Please, someone!" He cried to the door, praying that someone would hear him and save him. But nothing.

His family.

He needed- needed the Ante Unitum!

He scrambled for it, then put down the bag, pulled out a jar of dust, then threw it over the scythe. "My family comes first." He muttered just before the arrows hit. Then, as the first arrow of the wave hit, he screamed "NOSYARG DROL OT EKAT!"

There was a flash of light, but Morty had no time to even think before many, many arrows struck him at once, and all he felt was stinging for a moment, before one arrow periced his head, and that was it.

His last thought was a hope that his family would be repaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, chapter 2 back up! Give me time and I'll rewrite all of them. One chapter a day isn't to bad but soon I may require a few days to just get one more posted because of their length.


	3. Meeting

The day after the summer's ceremony, Apollo was back to working in the shop. He was dead tired, having not gotten any sleep the night before.

He had been avoiding Riku all morning, and stuck mainly to the front of the shop, where the same people from last night were coming in and out and looking at weapons. They would be given a few weeks before they were sent out to the border. Enough time to find a weapon to bring with them and such. Most of Tinker's weapons were being looked at the most. Most sunfires hated the winter and Apollo was no different, so most of the winter he spent in the hot forge, creating various weapons whilst trying to stay warm. He knew all of them worked well, in fact they seemed to be a favorite to most of the new soldiers!

So why did Riku and the others want him to learn to use one?

Sun's rays he needed to talk to him...

The door opened suddenly and a young elf ran in, absolutely breathless and holding a roll of paper. A letter. "I need to talk to the Smith Riku." The young elf said quickly, holding up the letter.

Hearing the urgency, Apollo nodded and quickly led the kid into the back, where he knew Riku was working. The old smith was hammering away at the blade of what seemed to be a curved sword. He looked up when he saw Apollo enter with a kid, then sighed and set down hammer. "Yes?" He asked.

As soon as he was acknowledged, the kid said "It's important." And handed over the letter.

Riku thanked the kid, then bid him goodbye and read the letter. As Riku read, the temperature dropped, and Apollo frowned.

Carefully he stepped forward and asked "What's wrong?"

Riku set down the letter with a shocked expression, then answered softly "Do you know what the Ante Unitum is?"

Apollo froze. Of course. Any smith knew what the Ante Umitum was. The United Front. The symbol of the Xadian alliance. "It's said to be made with all of the sources in mind, right?" Apollo questioned. "Metal from the sky, yet mined by those of the earth, cooled in the sacred waters of the ocean by the elves of sun and fire, while the moon and the stars watched from above?"

Riku nodded, and Apollo smiled. That smile fell from his face rather quickly, though as Riku said "It was stolen."

The room turned ice cold.

"Stolen?"

Riku nodded again before taking a breath and letting the room warm again, though Apollo's nervousness still chilled the room and Apollo couldn't warm up. "They're creating a team to retrieve it." Riku said, setting the letter down completely. "They want one elf from each race, including a sunfire smith." A faint smile began forming on the old Smith's face.

"Will you be going?" Apollo asked.

Riku shook his head. "Too old. I'll need to pick someone else."

At that, Apollo began looking around. There was Kira, the smartest of Riku's smiths. Anton, the strongest. Bayai, Saahva... "Who will you pick?" He asked.

"You."

 

* * *

 

 "What?!"

The elders sat still and looked Runaan over just as Runaan looked back at them.

The Ante Unitum... It was gone?

The head elder, Civaan, nodded. "Late last night, an unknown human army attacked and during that attack a human child snuck inside ths dragon king's home and found the chamber the Unitum was kept in. Before he died he used dark magic to send the Unitum to someone else. Of that they are sure, his bag was filled with various items of dark magic. Without the Unitum, the Xadian alliance could fall apart."

Runaan scowled, and crossed his arms. Not a great idea to do at the most respected people in the moonshadow home. "So what are we doing to prevent that?"

Civaan went silent, meeting the eyes of the other elders. Each nodded at him, but it was Herran, the healer elder, that spoke up. "There will be a team formed, one elf from each source will come together and retrieve it, holding the alliance steadily in place." So a bunch of probably soft elves would be sent to the human kingdoms to get a weapon they have no clue where to find. Runaan wouldn't envy he who had to go. "And because of your, ahem, slip up last night," Runaan had to fight himself not to growl at her. "We've decided that instead of suspending you from any and all duties as an assasin, we will send you as the representative for the moonshadow elves."

Runaan's ears dropped, and in that moment, all the self control he had just... left. "Excuse me?!" He demanded, uncrossing his arms and turning hos hands to fists as his sides. This was absolutely outrageous. "So I'm supposed to act as a tour guide to people who have never been?"

An elder on the edge of the semi-circle took a step forward. Taika. An old diplomat. She stopped herself from coming of her little pedastool, and instead only argued "You alone will be carrying the burden of keeping our alliance with the other races stable."  
Another one piped in as well. Aiwaan. An old general. "If I were you I would be more grateful. Along with what has already been stated, you are getting a chance to redeem yourself from your recent failure. Do realize that most who refuse to kill their target were often punished harsher than even your original punishment."

Civaan nodded at Aiwaan, the general going silent even as he seemed to be able to continue, but then Herran spoke up "This is all true of course. If not for your skill and ability already being on par with assassin's far older with far more experienced, despite your age, we would have already dealt with your insubordination the moment you returned." Runaan lifted his head a little and glared up at Herran, prepared to argue his case that their target was a child, but Herran held up a hand and, more pointedly, asked "Do you realize how much danger you placed your entire team in? Each of you bound yourselves, you refusing to kill that child, and even fighting against your _healer_ to prevent her from finishing the job, it would have cost you your own hand as well as your teammates."

Again, Runaan wanted to argue, but Civaan spoke up again, even more firm this time he said "You will be taking this assignment, that is final. You will be sent to the sunfire home at dawn tomorrow, from there you will stay a night at the dragon king's mountain in order to gather supplies and rest, and thr next morning you will head out to the human kingdoms to search for the Unitum with your team. If you don't report tomorrow, then you might as well not try to show your face here ever again."

Runaan froze, anger shifting to actual fear. They were willing to revoke Runaan's right as a moonshadow elf over this?

"Do you understand?" Civaan asked, and the other elders watched for Runaan's response.

Runaan went silent, before, very quietly "I understand." Civaan nodded, before having a guard escort Runaan out of the room, but as they left, Runaan caught a small exchange between the Civaan and Aiwaan.

"What if he doesn't succeed?"

_"This isn't a matter of outcome..."_

 

* * *

 

Apollo laid in his bed, not wanting to get up but not being able to sleep either.

Instead, he stared up at the sun through the sky light window he had in his room. Today was the day he was due to meet the other elves for the trip. He already had things packed and ready, he even finished off the dagger he was working on in order to bring it on the trip. He had three bags. One for smithing tools and such because why else would someone want a sunfire smith to come along if not for the ability to make and fix weapons, one for more personal items like a puzzle ring he had made when he was younger, a comb, and a storybook about fairytales. Things like that. The third was to hold a warmer set of clothes plus some bandages and stuffin case anyone needed anything like that.

All in all, he was ready to go. He just didn't want to.

But, of course, he had to. Riku had made it clear...

"Why me?" Apollo had asked, turning the room even colder.

Riku had looked at Apollo very seriously, and told him that "It will be good for you. You need to do something, Pol. Ever since you're dad's been gone, you've cut yourself off from... well... everything. You're more hesitant to do absolutely anything. And I know it's not 'cause of that leg. This'll be a great chance for you."

"But I'm not even an actual smith!" Apollo tried to argue.

At that point, Riku had gotten up and began pushing Apollo out the door. "My choice has been made, you're going. Try to make some friends, make sure to pack, you'll be meeting the rest of the group at noon tomorrow."

Apollo had been forced out at that moment, and he figured that he probably wouldn't be let in until he came back with the Unitum.  
If he came back at all...

Apollo sighed, still staring up at the skylight. It was almost noon. He had to go. He really didn't want to...

 

* * *

 

The sun was at its highest point in the sky.  
Runaan sighed roughly from where he leaned against a tree. One leg lifted and bent so the bottom of it laid flat against the bark, his back resting right against trunk, with his arms crossed.

He growled as he tried to take as much hair as he could and move it over his shoulder to keep if from pulling as he moved. He had forgotten a hair tie so his hair was getting absolutely everywhere and he hated it. He knew the startouch standing just outside the gate of the sunfire home had one, in her hair, but Runaan refused to ask.

Runaan had been there first, before dawn. The startouch was next, then the earthblood, oceanmist, and skywing. The sunfire had yet to show up.

Typical for the sunfire, whose home they were literally meeting just outside of, was the last one to arrive.

Runaan ought to just leave on his own.  
Runaan huffed and shook his head. It had to be a team thing...

To distract himself, he began looking at his future pains in the ass. The startouch was female, with a slim face. Her skin was pale blue, with starry markings next to her eyes and on her cheeks, on either side the marks swirled around one another, while in the center of swirl was a single diamond. No arm markings except for small glowing freckles like the stars themselves. Her hair was put into a loose ponytail that fell down her back an elegant yet serious look, her eyes were focused on the gate, but Runaan could see the tell tale sliver of gold in them, and despite her focus she still seemed aware of the others.

The skywing was also blue, but a different shade, with darker blue hair that spiked around his horns and around the goggles he wore. His wings were white, but faded to dark brown the lower they got. Runaan almost thought the feathers on his cloak were from his wings, but the colors weren't exact. He watched the sky and whistled like a bird, every once in awhile flapping his wings as a stray birds flew overhead.

Then there was the earthblood and the oceanmist.

Runaan hadn't actually seen an oceanmist before, but he wasn't sure what he expected.  
Probably what he saw.

The oceanmist had darker aqua colored skin, much like the ocean perhaps. Lighter blue marks decorated her cheeks and forehead, even dipping between her eyebrows. Her hair was actually an even darker blue, almost black in color, but with the same light blue as her markings. It fell down her back in dark waves, covering her neck and some of her shoulders. Her horns, though, were the biggest interest. They looked like pink coral.

The final elf was the earthblood. He looked like dirt, honestly. With tan skin, dark brown markings on his shoulders and chest, black hair, plain brown eyes. Everything was brown.

Everyone was silent as they waited for their sixth member, until finally the skywing spoke up. "So are we just going to stand here like a bunch of idiots or are we gonna say hi?" Runaan glanced over, before scowling. So the skywing continued. "Okay, fine. Hi, I'm Spiel." He lifted a wing suddenly and pressed the side, before flicking his wing down much like a salute. A weird salute.

The startouch was the one who spoke next. Tracing a hand over some symbols on the bars of the gate. "Astil." She said in the most monotone voice.

The earthblood sighed, then said "Dustin."  
At that, everyone looked at Dustin, even Runaan gave an off look, and the earthblood sighed. "My parents thought they were comedians."

The oceanmist giggled softly, before lifting a hand and copying the skywing's actions but with a hand. "Same." A pause as she looked around, then said "My name's Rainy. Like, well, Rain."

"Isn't that more of a sky based thing?" Dustin asked.

Rainy and Spiel shared a look, before both shrugging. "It's whatever." The skywing said, before suddenly coming closer and ducking his head curiously. "So what's your name?" 

Runaan hesitated, and Astil suggested "Would you rather we just call you assassin?"

"Or just ass." Dustin hummed

Rainy piped up instead and added "Maybe moon moon?"

Absolutely not any of those.

"My name's Runaan." He said begrudgingly.

"So he speaks!" Spiel cheered, coming even closer and trying to wrap an arm around Runaan's shoulders.

Runaan, of course, spun out of the way and retreated quickly. "No."

With an almost offended tone, Spiel muttered "Alright."

After that, things fell into silence again. Spiel and Dustin began talking about something unimportant while Runaan instead caught himself staring up at the sun. They were already almost an hour behind.  
  
When he looked away, he found Rainy frowning at a tiny puddle of water. A puddle.  
Runaan watched as she hummed, then dipped her finger into the puddle and drew it back out. Slowly the water followed her finger up. She brought up her other hand and held it out just below the first, letting the water turn to a floating bubble. From there she smiled and looked around, then tossed the little water bubble at the Astil.  
Astil stepped out of the way moments before it hit, but it certainly hit something with a splash.

Or someone.

A loud yelp sounded throughout the clearing, and everyone turned to find a sunfire just inside the gate, with bright yellow markings like spiked targets on his cheeks and pale brown hair.

Soaked pale brown hair.

Whatever.

"That's what you get for being late." Runaan said haughtily, before turning and walking away without a thought.

He heard Dustin mutter "Ass." Under his breath, but Runaan didn't let himself be phased by even that. He was supposed to be near the dragon king's mountain at this point.

He had no time to waste on a stupid sunfire.


	4. Tinker pt. 1

Apollo sighed as he watched the others walk away. Well that was sudden...

He shivered as the air hit his now cold clothes. Sunfire's weren't meant for the cold at all, definitely not meant to be wet.

He began trying to warm himself to both fight the cold feeling, and to dry to clothes.

The oceanmist approached suddenly. "Sorry." She said quickly, before lifting her hands. The water drained from Apollo's clothes and hair quickly, instead pooling between her hands. He watched, astonished. She smiled. "I swear, I was aiming for Astil."

"Astil?" He questioned, looking behind the oceanmist at the others.

The oceanmist paused, then smiled. "Oh, right, you weren't there when everyone introduced themselves. The startouch is Astil," Apollo located the startouch, walking just a little behind the moonshadow. "I'm Rainy." She paused after that, but Apollo was busy staring at the moonshadow. Or, more specifically, his hair.  
Pure white, long, not put up or anything... How did this elf keep it all clean? And brushed. Apollo had short, almost blond hair and even that was a lot to handle for the sunfire. And how did the moonshadow fight and stuff with it down?

A tap on his shoulder drew his attention. He looked up and away, to the oceanmist again, before realizing just then what she expected. "Oh, uh, my name's Apollo." He said with a small nod and an awkward wave.

Rainy smiled. "Nice to meet you, Apollo." She let the water drop to the ground.

The skywing approached, looking specifically at Apollo's bags. "Do... do you want me to carry one of those?"

Right. Strapped to Apollo's back was the tool bag, in one hand was the activity bag and in the other his clothes. Three. Not bad, he thought.  
But considering the others only had one or two tiny bags... "H-hey!" He shouted as the one on his back was pulled off and wrapped around the skywing's shoulder, then placed to hang at his side. Suns rays... that was the heaviest one.

"You weren't fast enough to make a decision." The skywing shrugged. Apollo must've looked upset, because the skywing chuckled, then offered some sort of... wing flick? Thing? And said "Don't go questioning my wimg strength. My name's Spiel." He offered a wing out, but hesitated instead, then put out a hand instead.

Apollo laughed a little, before shaking the skywing's hand. "Apollo."

 

* * *

 

The journey to the dragon king's mountain was only half a day's journey, and the path was worn well and easy to follow.

Runaan had taken this path a few times before, each time they went on a mission they stopped by the sunfire home to get last minute supplies. After that the team would travel half way down this very path, then break off to follow a more discreet road to the moonstone path.

They couldn't take the path this time.

Due to most of the elves on the team being more accustomed to the day, one of them possibly even being unable to function once the sun sets, they would have to take an alternate way to cross.

For the hundredth time today Runaan caught himself asking why the elders thought it a good idea to make a team out of completely diverse elves. It made absolutely no sense in any logic except political.

So caught up in his own thoughts was he that he didn't realize when Astil came up on his left. He barely caught her in the corner of his eye and mentally berrated himself for it. She stepped lightly, even compared to most moonshadow elves.

He sighed. "Yes?" He asked with a huff.

She hummed softly, then asked in the same flat voice as before "Do you plan to be an asdls to him the entire time?"

Runaan almost stopped walking, stuttered just a step, before continuing with a scowl. "What?"

"The sunfire. Do you plan to be an ass to him the entire time?"

Runaan rolled his eyes, before continuing on. "He was late."

"That's not an answer."

He scoffed before turning, walking backwards, and giving a glare to her as a sign to back off. She didn't seem phased, though, and instead only stared back at him with a deadpanned look. She stayed silent for far longer than even Civaan could, until he finally gave in, and said "We'll see. If he keeps showing up late and bumbling around like a sunfire, then yes."

Astil finally eased up, glancing back at said sunfire. "Well, either way to go relatively easy on him. He already has a low self esteem."

Runaan scoffed. "So now you're a mind reader too, now?" He questioned, only for her to look back with the same deadpanned yellow eyes.

"If you actually studied him, you'd see." And, begrudgingly, Runaan did.

The sunfire was of medium stature for most sunfire's, with pale, sandy hair, orange brown eyes, and bright yellow circle markings on his cheeks like poorly drawn bulls-eyes. He walked with the other three, Rainy, Spiel, and Dustin with a slightly lowered head. Definitely low confidence. Runaan had always grown up believing a lack of confidence came from a lack of competence.

Dear Luna please don't let him have been teamed up with an incompetent sunfire!

 

* * *

 

After the others first introduction, Apollo was quickly forgotten about. Sure, he still walked somewhat with them, but he was behind Rainy and Spiel, practically hidden by the latter's wings. The earthblood, he learned, was named Dustin, but while Dustin nodded in his direction once, neither had shared a word.

None of them seemed to even notice Apollo behind them anymore...

What if he just... Stopped walking?

Would they even notice?

Maybe it was better if he just backed down. Who needed a smith on a journey into a country or countries currently at war with them? Smith's aren't fighters. He'd be useless.

Not to mention he didn't know how they'd react to knowing he had a prosthetic...

He knew that moonshadow elves put their limbs on the line when they go on missions and such, and to lose a limb was a sign of failure... And he wasn't sure about the others either...

"So you see it?" Apollo heard distantly. He shifted his gaze up ahead, meeting the deep lagoon eyes of the moonshadow.

The assassin looked away to murmur something to the startouch beside him, too quiet for Apollo to hear. In return, the startouch hissed back an equally quiet response.

Did they know?

A cold chill rushed through him at the idea. Was his leg showing? Or was he walking oddly like he used to do when he was younger?

At that moment, he did stop. No one noticed except the moonshadow, who gave a firm hmph, and turned back to the direction they were heading, his white hair flying some before settling against his back once more.

He had to know.

 

* * *

 

Fool...

Astil scoffed, and if she were a little less mature and refined, she would have possibly cursed at the arrogant moonshadow.

But being who she was, and what she was, she only delivered a biting comment.

"You alone will the cause of our doom." And with that, she slowed down until the other's had passed, too caught up in their own discussion over jokes perhaps, then once she knew they were ahead she went back for the sunfire.

"We're not leaving you." She said as she approached.

The sunfire froze, before stepping back and turning his head away. "I'll only slow you down."

Astil spared a scoff, before taking the smith's arm and dragging him. "You won't." She didn't know for sure, but she could feel in her very arcanum that he would be important.

Before he could argue again, she also added "You feel left out, yet you fail to offer anything of yourself unless prompted. There is much introducing for you to do, yet you stand back and wait for others to greet you first. A shy demeanor will get you no allies, and no one will come." Perhaps too much to someone who didn't have much confidence, but it needed to be said. "So do us all a favor, and make a friend."

  
With that, she pushed the sunfire into the center of the group, and left him to talk. All six needed to be present.

And if one left... Stars help them all...

 

* * *

 

Runaan gave a questioning glance as Astil approached again with an almost smug look on her face. That smugness turned to a hidden anger a moment later. "I would suggest you speak to him at some point. I do not intend to have to drag him back each time he stops. But we need him around, in case something," She moved to tap at the two swords in holders on his back "Needs repairing." Did she know something? Or was she just being an odd startouch?

Runaan had heard stories of startouches being even more difficult to understand than even the oldest moonshadow illusionists. Perhaps this was one of those odd moments.

He didn't ask, though, and she didn't explain.

He'd find out later.

 

* * *

 

 "Does it feel weird, being this close to the border?"

Apollo sighed as Rainy began gesturing to the barren rocky ground around them. This wasn't the border, in fact it wasn't even close, but it did feel nice to know she was curious about him. So, as anyone would do, he shrugged. "It's normal, this area I mean. The border's still about half a day west from this very spot. And sure, there's no floura and fauna like most other places in Xadia but that's kind of good for elves who can somewhat control fire. Especially the little ones. Younger ones have a harder time controlling their abilities, and when a young sunfire flares in the middle of a tantrum, they'll flare bad. I'd rather stay away from most flammable things in that case, thank you." He gave a certain, final nod before leaving it be. For her part, Rainy began giggling some, though he did notice that she frowned when he told her about the border. It seemed he wasn't the only one.

Dustin rolled his eyes. "Well, don't worry about not getting to see the border. We'll be crossing right over it."

That drove Apollo to freeze in both senses of the word. What?

"Not near the actual battlefields, of course.  Closer to the dragon king's mountain."

Oh. Okay. Better than nothing... Apollo tried to relax again, only for Rainy to tilt her head, then placed her arms behind her back, duck her head like a chicken about to peck something, then stepped forward while looking up at Apollo. She's done this five times now, each time when she asked a question. It was offputting at first, but already it seemed normal. But her question...

"Have you ever been to the border?" Simple enough. "Why are you so scared of it?" Wait. Fuck.

Apollo frowned as he thought of how to answer, already having to push through the reminding sounds of the clashing metal and the phantom throbbing in his leg.

No. Those were just memories.

"Once or twice..." He tried, only for a loud, terrified shout of APOLLO to catch his ear. He glanced beside him, but there was nothing.

Of course. Just a memory...

"It's... been a long time." He forced a shake of his head and smile. "Let's just say I was at the wrong place at the wrong time." He murmured, before speeding up some until he was away from the three elves and closer to Astil and the moonshadow.

He didn't like to talk about things like that.

 

* * *

 

 Dusk had barely changed to dark by the time the group of elves saw the volcano's top. Rivers of lava flowed freely from the top, and as they got even closer it became clear that the lava continued on out of sight.  
While Rainy and Spiel began lagging and complaining about the heat, and even Runaan had to admit it was very hot, the sunfire, Dustin, and Astil practically glowed in the heat. The sunfire especially seemed to liven up considerably. Enough for him to slow down and begin speaking to the other three, encouraging Rainy and Spiel onward even as they neared a large river of lava.

Over the river stood a bridge, one of many to come if Runaan remembered correctly, and on that bridge stood nearly twelve elves, most of which were sunfire despite the hour, dressed in golds, oranges, yellow, and reds much like the younger sunfire in Runaan's group, yet they held themselves with far more power and confidence, heads held high, backs straight, faces detirmined.

There were also four moonshadow elves who were similar, but dressed in the usual greens and teals, some purple, of the moonshadow colors. All guards and soldiers.

Runaan stopped at the edge of the bridge, forcing himself to ease the tension he felt as the soldiers began completely surrounding Runaan's group from all sides, only leaving one opening for someone else, another moonshadow elf, to step up.

He nodded to her, and she nodded back, before saying to the others "Greetings. I am Shiana, I'll be in charge of your care while you are within the halls of the dragon king's mountain. I'm sure you already know why you're here, and I assure you that we don't intend to make you stay long, but the dragon king insisted you have one night to fully rest and prepare for the journey." Basic hospitality.

Runaan followed as she began walking, leading over the first bridge, then the second, until the number was uncountable. Each one stood over a river of lava, but no one other than Rainy, Spiel, and Dustin were phased. Runaan didn't allow himself to be, the sunfire looked like he was actually enjoying himself, and Astil looked bored.

"Careful." One of the soldiers said, placing a hand on Runaan's sunfire's shoulder. It didn't take much more for the two to start talking and eventually laughing as Shiana continued to explain things. She would come to get them I individually if something were to happen or they were needed, and they would have rooms fit to match their races needs where they could sleep.

Again, basic hospitality.

As they approached the main doorway, a place even Runaan rarely got to see, the whole party stopped.

Spiel whistled, and even Astil have a mildly surprised and interested hum.

The entire entrance was placed on a stone bridge over hot, flowing lava. Lava also fell from a lookout point and completely hid the door behind a wall of orange liquid. No one shouted, and the lava stayed, but Shiama and the guards did not falter in their step.

Were they expected to go through that

Absolutely not. No way.

Runaan clearly wasn't alone in his hesitance as the whole group was escorted towards the pouring lava, except for Astil and their sunfire, who said something to the same guard that had helped him before. The guard snorted, as if about to laugh, before clearing his throat and answering with "Perhaps you can provide the example."

Example?

 

* * *

 

 Apollo stepped up, more amused than anything by the confusion and fear of the others.

Shaina tried to guide the other moonshadow into the lava, only for the long haired assassin to actually hiss and take a step back.

Before he realized it, Apollo laughed again. He stepped forward, in front of both moonshadows, before touching the lava. "It's cold." He said, motioning for the other to feel. Shiana gave a smug yet scolding look to the assassin, before pushing past Apollo to continue. Reluctantly, the assassin walked through, and Apollo followed easily, feeling triumphant that he knew something the others didn't.

Swiftly and with newfound ease, everyone entered through the wall of cold lava, in order to lay their eyes on a great stone hall.

Apollo gasped, eyes going wide as he took in every detail. The floor was of marble, with grays and whites all mixed together into some patterns Apollo couldn't see from where he stood. Large pillars stood on wither side of the hall, starting as the same marble but slowly turning to stone like the walls, with golden spirals rising up in swirls around the collumns. The ceiling rose into an arch, and another gold line decorated with leaves sat at each edge, then spiked out and swirled, decorating the ceiling with golden, dancing vines.

The hall continued seemingly forever, Apollo couldn't find an end, but they weren't given a chance to look as Shiana turned and escorted them down a smaller hallway, less grand but following the same pattern. Two more lefts and three rights left Apollo confused about where they were, but he left it be and instead trusted Shiana knew where they were going.

She stopped inside a large hall, yet not quite as large as the first, made of the same stone but with large wooden doors on either side. Each had a primal symbol painted on it, and each faced another door.  Sun and moon glared one another down, as did earth and star and ocean and sky.

"These will be your rooms." She announced, before flicking a wrist to the guards and walking off, the guards following her.

So, this was them...

 

* * *

 

The first two rooms were star and earth. Despite Runaan's attempt to deny his curiosity, he glanced inside the earth door when Dustin went inside, finding plain dirt walls with a gem-like floor and a single bed that looked more like a slab than anything, and though Runaan tried to glance into the star room, he couldn't see much but darkness before Astil closed her door.

The next two were sky and ocean. The sky had a large room that seemed to have no top yet had many dug-in caves that were well above the ground. A flight of stairs alsp lined the wall, circling up until it was put of sight. The ocean was a simple, smaller and low-lighted cave with a rushing river that turned just at the doorway, with a single stone slab separating the door from the water. Even with Runaan's ability to see well in the dark, he couldn't see past that.

Finally, the sun and moon doors.  
One, the sun, radiated heat while the other was cool and peaceful. The heat got more intense once the sunfire opened the door and slipped inside far too quickly for it to be normal.

Was the sunfire avoiding him?

Possibly.

He'd have to introduce himself later...

With a sigh, he walked into the moon door, taking note of the room's features with pleasant surprise. The room was dark, with soft blue lighting much like the torches of the moonshadow home. It lit up the room, revealing a high ceiling of black much like the night, with many small, wall-less just built next to each other. Each only big enough for perhaps a single item, like the bed, but they were meant to be like that. On the wall furthest from the door was a shelf filled with multiple punching bags and training dummys, and beside it a stand for each. Nearby was a single, tall tree with many limbs to climb on as well as an obstacle course.

This entire room was closely modeled after the moonshadow home... Though the bed was too large to be purely moonshadow. As he touched it, he quickly added "too fluffy" to that list as well. Moonshadows didn't care for soft of fluffy.

Still, all in all a great room. Amazing actually.  
He glanced at the door, thinking about the sunfire, before looking to the training setup, and immediately decided it was time to blow off some steam.

He could speak to the sunfire later.

 

* * *

 

 As soon as Apollo saw his room, he was sure he was going to collapse. Not from the heat, as he loved that part, but by how amazing the room was in general. His bed was colored like fire, with plenty of fluffy and soft blankets and pillows, while a fire raged in the center of the room, inside a pit of stone. A walkway of orange led from the doorway, around the fire, and then to the bed across from the door and a little corner where a forge was. Where the carpet was not at there were small cracks where hot, burning lava flowed beneath. The walls were of stone with columns of glass on some parts, but lava flowed down behind the glass, providing the room with plenty of light.

There was probably magic at work keeping the room from being too hot except for near the fire, but Apollo loved it still.

Getting comfortable, Apollo took care of taking off the prosthetic leg of his, it wasn't hard after spending so long with it and having to take it off each night so it was off pretty quickly. He dug through his bags until he found the book he had brought, then flipped the page until he found the Tinker Bell story. It was dumb, but Tinker bell was one of his favorite stories, even now. Usually reading in general helped relax him but Tinker bell was one of the few stories that kept him entertained despite the many times he read it. Though most of the stories in this book did catch his interest many times over, that was why he brought that one in particular.

Once he began reading, all thoughts over anything but the book disappeared, even sounds like the crackling of the fire faded from his mind as he imagined every character, every color, every voice, and every face. He was in this book, enjoying the moment of peace before it all fell away.

Then, without warning or care, there was a knock on the door, catching Apollo's attention. He looked up, before shouting "Come in!" And returning to his book. He was at one of the best parts already, and though he already knew what would happen, it was hard to put down the book.

So, Apollo didn't really notice who had entered until he started talking.

"I came to apologize for earlier."

Apollo looked up at that, eyes going wide and the room going cold once he realized it was the moonshadow. With a yelp, he grabbed a blanket and hefted it over his legs to hide the lack of a leg, heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"Yeah-yeah right." Apollo said, shaking a little.

He still didn't know about the Moonshadow's opinion on prosthetics and he didn't want to make the assassin mad.

Said assassin sighed, before crossing his arms and leaning a shoulder against the doorway, some white hair finding a place running over his shoulder. "What's your name?" He asked, but do to the panic Apollo was feeling, he only heard something like 'What are you reading?'

"Tinker bell." Apollo answred with a glance at the book, before he could catch himself.  
The room flared once the moonshadow gave Apollo an odd look, and he realized his mistake. "Tinker bell?"

Apollo was sure he'd pass out if his heart thundered any more. But, improvising, he practically squealed out a "Tinker! Just- just Tinker. Yeah. That's my name."

Sun's rays why was he such an idiot?

The odd look persisted, before the assassin shrugged and said "Runaan. My name's Runaan. It's a pleasure to be teamed up with you."

Apollo barely managed to nod and say "likewise." Because he felt so dizzy all of a sudden.

Runaan chuckled, giving a smile that was so.close yet just off from a smirk, before saying "Get some rest. We head out tomorrow." He got up from the doorframe and prepared to walk away with his white hair swaying before stopping to add, with more of a curve to his lips than before "Goodnight, _Tinker_."

Then he was gone.

And the fire in front of Apollo exploded as the sunfire squealed in embarrassment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry chapter 4 took so long! I've been busy! But we're finally getting into the long chapters and such again so yay! Half of the way back to my original point!


	5. Tinker pt. 2

A loud clatter woke Apollo in the morning.

He shot up with a loud gasp, then froze when his sleepy eyes caught sight of a little sunfire with bright red hair balancing a tray of food, including little yellow berries and peppers that started red at the stem but turned yellow the further down they went, whilst trying to reach down and pick up some sort of metal object from the table. She froze too when she glanced up and he was awake. The fire beside her died just a little, and her ears flicked slightly. "Sorry for waking you." She said quickly. "I meant to just drop off your breakfast.." She gestured to a plate of various fruits and peppers.

"Hang on." He said quickly, sliding to the edge of the bed, fastening on his leg quickly and rather self consciously, before getting up to help. He picked up the metal contraption and found it to be a small, foldable table, neat, then placed it in front if the pillows around the fire.

He helped her set the food down on the table before sitting himself. "Do you want to sit?" Apollo offered nicely, motioning to another pillow chair.

She hesitated, then "I shouldn't. I'm only here to bring you breakfast."

"I insist."

Apollo watched as she hesitated again, thinking it over, then finally sank to one of the pillows with a happy hum. Tinker smiled.

"Food?" He offered, wanting to be polite to the girl. He sifted through the various foods on the tray, finding a few Xadian oranges, one human orange that had to be peeled, a few moonberries, common around Xadia but too tart for Apollo, a few of the moonberries yellow and sweeter brethren sunberries, and small peppers that started red but turned yellow the further from the stem the pepper was.

Apollo's eyes widened. Fire peppers.

Extremely hot peppers that grew only in the burning, lava-filled terrain where most sunfire elves lived. The peppers were common in most sunfire dishes, sunfires had a love for hot peppers and items that rivaled even an earthblood's stubbornness. One bite could easily kill most animals who hadn't developed a way to safely eat the peppers, a full one could kill an elderly human. Sunberries were one of the few things that could cool the fire pepper's heat, not that most sunfires ate sunberries for that purpose, but even those took time...

"I figured you may want extra." The girl shrugged, pulling Apollo out of his thoughts. She too eyed the fire peppers as if starving.

He paused, before offering a smile. "Thank you for that. Would you like one?"

Again with her hesitation. As to prove his offer, Apollo picked one pepper up by its stem, then offered it. She finally took it with a quiet "Thank you." Then bit into it. The small fiery markings dancing over her nose and beneath her eyes lit up, before dulling as she purred. Cute.

"You don't eat fire peppers often, do you?"

She shook her head, still munching on the pepper happily. "Not very many times, no. Rations only unless we find a patch."

Apollo took one as well and bit into it, humming as the heat already began flaring on his tongue, lips, and traveled to the back of his throat, before he swallowed the heat down with a few sunberries.

The girl finished hers quickly and stood. She gave a respectful bow. "I have to go now. Enjoy your breakfast." She said, before darting out of the room before Apollo could even respond.

He sighed, the fire beside him flickering and dying just enough to be noticeable, before eating more of his pepper alone.

Always alone, it seemed... 

 

* * *

 

Sleep had escaped Runaan for most of the night.

The assassin got some, of course, but not a good amount to function on. Much less a suitable amount for someone who had already gotten little sleep for an entire week during the full moon.

Still, he didn't let it phase him. Instead, he forced himself out of bed when it became clear to him that we could get nothing more by laying around and hoping. He grabbed his double swords, both still covered in the dried poison on the blades. They were cracked and chipped from months of continuous and unrelenting use, after the last mission he had intended to trade them out for a newer set but fate had not lined up in such a way. He had barely been given time to pack what he would need for the trip.

He practiced move after move on one of the training dummies, attacking from the front, back, sides, above, even jumping clean over the 'target' and taking it by the neck. He only slowed when he was sure his tiredness wasn't effecting his speed or skill, then relaxed for a moment to catch his breath.

But only for a moment.

He put the swords back on their scabbards at his sides, then pulled out his bow and the quiver of arrows he had brought last minute. The bow was at least newer than the swords, and Runaan was much more partial to using it than the swords for the most part. But a bow in close combat was a terrible idea that could, and would, lead to death. Hence the swords.

He knocked an arrow, then drew back the string of the bow, making sure to breathe carefully and aim equally so. He let go of the string with a released breath, and watched as the arrow buried itself in the head of the dummy flawlessly. Directly in the center.

Perfect.

After a few more still shots, aiming for various parts of the dummy's 'body', Runaan began working on movement, starting slow, then picking up speed until he was dashing around the course whilst also landing shots on the dummy, mentally listing what he wanted to shoot as he did. Then he tried mix combat. Start with a bow, put the bow up and switch to swords in the middle of a dash, jump over an enemy's attack, take them by the throat. Then start as swords, retreat, switch to bow, aim for the head.

A knock caught him off guard just as he aimed for the target's hand, where Runaan decided a sword should be. He loosed the arrow as he looked up at the door.

"Runaan." A female voice called through the door. Shiana

Runaan sighed and set the bow down, not checking where the arrow landed. He knew it was embedded in the dummy's hand. He never missed.

"Runaan." Shaina called again.

The assassin rolled his eyes, took time to tame his hair, dear lunis he needed a hair tie, then opened the door. "Yes?" He asked with a barely concealed huff of annoyance.

"I was told to escort you to the cave of the Ante Unitum, where it was kept until recently." She didn't wait for him to follow, nor reply, as she turned and began walking away.

Runaan suppressed an annoyed huff, but followed quickly.

Down halls and stairs they walked, turning and climbing, then descending and turning some more until Runaan was sure they were going in circles. They passed through an illusion wall, then down another set of stairs into a cave. And from there, on still.

Runaan felt tense, here. He was not one to fear, Moonshadows did not feel fear. Should not, at least. But something about the tunnel's walls, the rock hanging over him and squeezing around him, making it hard for him to gasp for breath in all the pressure the stone forced upon him... It unsettled him.

Shiana didn't stop, though. Not until they reached a dead end. Except it wasn't.  
Runaan was no mage, but he knew an illusion when he saw one.

He lifted his head even when Shiana paused, then walked through himself. He braced himself, but he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

An empty room, long and wide, nothing like the cave they had just escaped from. A single staircase leading up to an empty platform on the other side of the room was the only true light source here. If not for Runaan's eyes, trained to the darkness, he would be blind.

Bugs, fireflies he realized quickly, were scattered all over the floor. A few lit up still, with faint and few purple glows. Unnatural.

They quickly died, though, as ants came and bit into their heads, killing them instantly.

Runaan grimaced.

That wasn't even the worst of it.

A terrible odor wafted from his right. He turned, only to almost gag when he saw the decaying body of a young human boy clutching a bag. He had been impaled multiple times by countless arrows. Nothing could have survived that.

Dear lunis, why must it always be children who pay?

"This us the one who stole the Ante Unitum." Shiana finally explained, taking a step toward the boy's body. Did he have a family? Did they know where he was? "An army crossed over in the dead of night and attacked the castle gates. This boy slipped past the initial fighting." She used the end of her staff to prod at an arm. Runaan suppressed a hiss. That was no way to treat the dead, human or elf. He managed to stay silent as she continued, but just barely. "He killed a guard, snuck through the halls, then used dark magic to find the Ante Unitum. The trap activated when he took the Unitum off its pedastool, but it seems he had been expecting that. He used more dark magic to send it off somewhere, to transport it. Probably to his master, the one who had created the army."

"This is brutal." Runaan said quietly, turning away before he got sick. He wasn't squeamish in the slightest, but this child's death was unjust. He was a pawn in a game of chess, obviously. And he had been sacrificed for a strategic gain. Sick.

" _This_ is what war is." Shiana snapped, tone becoming harsher. "People die, _children_ die. It's a cruel fate, but that is how it is. The longer you remain blinded, by believing that children will never be involved, the longer you will be too _soft_ to be an assassin."

Those words almost did it. Those words almost made him outright attack her. His hands were shaking as he whirled around, eyes narrowing.

She apparently caught her mistake, and caught it well. After a moment of looking frozen, she finally took a breath, then in a calmer tone said "But that's not why we're here. No, you have an assignment. Specific to you. The one who sent this army clearly knew what they were doing, they located a hidden pass and crossed there, a team is already working on destroying it but that is not the point either. That person is too much of a threat to be left alive."

Her eyes met his, and they shared a determined glare for the longest time, Runaan not skipping a beat in realizing what she meant.

"You will be expected to take them out, no matter the cost, no matter their age. Only then will you redeem yourself and be allowed to reclaim the title of assassin." Runaan nodded, and she nodded back, before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a round object. A compass. But it didn't point towards north. Instead, it pointed... west.  
"Your earthblood will know what to do with this, but this will be your guide to the Ante Unitum." She paused, before adding, very seriously "Don't mess this up. It's your final chance. If you don't succeed..." She stopped then. She didn't have to continue.

Runaan knew what would happen.

 

* * *

 

Apollo poked his head out of the door tentatively.

The hall was empty. Of course. Why wouldn't it be?

Still, he felt a little disappointed as he looked down the hallway and found nothing but stone. He had hoped at least someone was up...

A loud bang sounded from the earth room, followed by a groan. Tinker gave a loud yelp in surprise, jumping slightly. It was unexpected. But he frowned, heart still hammering in his chest, and made his way to the earth door worriedly. He lifted his hand to knock, but another door opening sounded behind him. He whirled around, finding Astil in the star door.

In her hand she clutched a cup of some blue, rippling and bubbling liquid that glowed. Her hair was a mess, nothing like the neat ponytail from before. It was down with various spiked strands, clearly tangled, and frizzed around the edges. She didn't seem phased by it or Apollo's presence. "Good morning."

Apollo gave a nod, only for the earth door, now behind him, finally opened. He turned, finding Dustin in the doorway with a scowl to match a hundred human soldiers. "Someone needs to talk to the earthblood representatives about comfort... clearly there's a communication problem." He jerked his head left, then right, creating a sickening sound as if heavy rocks had were cracking and crumbling inside the earthblood. Apollo cringed. "Just because earthbloods like earth and rocks, everyone assumes we like hard beds. We don't." He held his back and leaned back, creating more of those sounds, then straightened his arms and pushed down, again with the cracking sounds.

Dear Sol please let him stop... That didn't sound right.

Dustin stopped when he caught sight of Astil, then gave a look and a nod. "Good evening." Astil said with a nod back.

Wait what?

"Uh... As...Astil? That's not really right." Apollo tried with a forced smile. "It's morning."

"Time is a construct."

...Okay then.

Incredibly disturbed, Tinker turned to Dustin in search of a conversation change. "You slept on a rock, then?" Dustin had a similarly disturbed look, but the look disappeared back to the scowl quickly enough.

Dustin scoffed, crossed his arms, and nodded. "Exactly. Nothing but."

"Sounds uncomfortable." Astil hummed, taking a sip from the glowing liquid. In truth Apollo would probably not have even touched it... things that glowed were a bit of a no-no, especially things that glowed such an odd color.

Dustin grimaced. "What is it you're drinking?"

"Breakfast."

"That's not..." Apollo tried, before going silent and ducking his head slightly.

The startouch looked up from her drink without hesitation, yellow gold colored eyes meeting Apollo's. Almost as if staring into his soul. "Our cultures are different. I don't blame you for thinking it odd, but while time _is_ a construct it is also a _waste_ of time to have to use the restroom. This liquid has all the needed requirements to keep someone healthy without much time spent on stomach aches and bathroom breaks later on."

Sun's rays...

"Why are you so weird?" Dustin whispered incredulously.

"Weird is only a matter opinion."

"But a potion? Instead of food? That's so _weird_."

"The process if digestion in and of itself is weird." She shot back, somehow still keeping her cool. Somehow. "The moving of rock is weird. The sun, a star, being its own source is weird. Things are weird, but weird is, as I said, is relative." As if to highlight this, the startouch took another drink of the liquid, then "Even death is weird, and fearing death is as well."

Apollo practically heard the familiar bell of his curiosity being prodded. "How so?" He looked up, but straightened and lowered his pointed ears.

"While we walk through a forest, we could be attacked at any moment by any sort of being. Crossing the border, we could slip and fall into lava. The very ceiling above us could crumble at any moment, crushing us all." Apollo couldn't help but look up nervously at the large ceiling. "So many things could kill us so fast. Yet you fear death, as if you could evade it somehow."

"Can we stop?" Dustin asked suddenly. He was hiding his distress, but Apollo could feel it. Sunfires had a way of reading people. And Dustin wasn't hard to read even when he was trying to be. Maybe that was an earthblood thing?

"My point is, death is inevitable so fearing it is pointless, and thus weird." Astil finished, before looking to the side. "Would you agree, Runaan?"

Just as she said his name, the assassin stepped into view, his head low, a troubled scowl on his face. He froze when his name was said, then looked up uneasily. "What am I agreeing to?"

"That death is inevitable and fearing it is pointless."

"Oh. Yes. It's a waste of time and energy." He continued on after that, cutting through the three's hallway long barrier and making his way into the moon room. He paused at the door, before saying "We leave when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. Be ready before then. We won't be returning." With that he closed the door behind him.

"All official-like, huh?" Dustin asked with another scoff. All Apollo managed was a nod and a frown.

That tone wasn't official. As with Runaan's look, it was something else entirely. Troubled.

What had upset the assassin that much?

 

* * *

 

A tray on a table had been placed in front of Runaan's bed while he was gone. Runaan froze when he saw it, taking note of the fruits on the tray, the many vials of deep red juice, and the bags placed around the legs of the table.

The fruit was breakfast, obviously, but the moonberry juice and bags were meant for the trip.

Choosing to forego the food for a moment, he instead sifted through the bag, finding a medical kit, a set of knives, a few vials of extra poison, a single, tinier bag of cloth that would become a fair sized tent, a whetstone or two, and rope. Basic items an assassin should take on every mission.

No hair ties though.

Unforuntately.

He sighed, then grabbed his own bag and set it beside the other, comparing the various items. The tent was the same, two may be needed but it would cost space.. He had another twelve arrows in the bottom of his bag, making 24 in all as the other twelve sat in his quiver already. The moonberry juice and poison were a must, the small vials of poison were only good for one sword each, or an entire quiver of arrows. He had only brought four vials of the green liquid himself which left little room for error or accident. Having an extra three would be good. The knives were a big debate for Runaan. On one hand, he didn't need them. But on the other, he wasn't sure if the other elves had weapons. There were none from what he had seen at least.. but the cloth that held the knives would also work as a way to store the vials without breaking any of them. Maybe he could store the knives somewhere else instead... with the arrows, maybe.

Actually, yes.

He reached into the bottom of the bag he had brought, feeling around until he touched the metal edge of a large box he had put there. He reached further down until he felt the bottom, then grabbed it and pulled it out. The same color and material as the inside of the bag, this box was meant to act as a false bottom. He opened it, revealing the other twelve arrows, broken down into three main parts, the fletching with the nocking point, the stick, and the arrowheads. He took the knives from their place in the holder and deposited them into the box, then put the moonberry juice inside the previous holder. He also had just enough space left over for the last of the poison.

Good.

Finally he replaced the box in its original place on the bottom of the bag. Then the two tent rolls, the whetstone, the rope, and so on until the bag was full again.

Runaan was ready to go as soon as everyone else was.

Until that time, though... Skills needed sharpening.

 

* * *

 

Apollo had to admit, Dustin was right about the bed.

Dustin's bed was literally just a slab of stone with a bit of padding and a few blankets. If Apollo were to kick it, he'd probably break his toes.

Apollo had no clue how Dustin slept the whole night.

Oh well, no time to think about it too much. It was his turn to ask.

"So what is that?" He asked, pointing to one of the many shining gems and metals placed into the floor. This one was olive green and shiny. A crystal of some sort.

Dustin looked at it for only a second, before answering "Peridot. It's used as a flux for making steel. It's also an important ore of magnesium."

This is what they had been doing for the last half hour. Dustin had invited Apollo into the room because he was bored, and eventually they started talking about metal. Apollo had asked what material Dustin would use for a sword, and Dustin had answered with a rather interesting answer that even Apollo hadn't really thought about: A titanium blade with tungsten carbide edge. When prompted to explain, Dustin did so with an easy shrug, as if he had been asked this before. Or at least had planned to be asked it. "It would be tough as titanium but still be light as steel."  
Apollo had never been more awed in his life.

Now, though, the conversation had drifted from that to their current position, Apollo and Dustin laying on the bed, Apollo asking questions about various ores and metals in the floor. A spiral of silver decorated the room. It could only be seen from the slight rise the bed provided.

Dustin had a basket of some sort of rocky brown food with him, but he ate them very slowly and made it clear he didn't like them, judging by the many growls and annoyed groans from the earthblood.

Apollo's curiosity was killing him, as he looked over the rock food and tried to figure out what exactly it was..

"Next stone?" Dustin finally asked, drawing Apollo from his deathly focus on the basket.

"Oh, er, yeah. How about that blue one." He pointed to the corner.

"You already asked about that one."

Oh. Had he?

"...Whoops."  
The earthblood sighed. "You know, if you have a question you could just ask."

Apollo froze as Dustin lifted the basket a bit then shook it with an offering look. Oh.

Wait he could've asked? Didn't earthbloods hate stupid questions? That was what Riku had told him!

"Um... what are you eating?" He managed, hesitant but still wanting to know. Dustin didn't seem to have an issue answering.

"It's supposed to be 'rock candy' which is an earthblood snack, but I guess the cooks did not understand what that was so..." He held out the rock food further. "I get screwed over. Want to try one?"

"You sure?"

"Go ahead."

Apollo reached to grab one, then brought it back carefully and stared it down. It wouldn't taste good, he warned himself, it was obviously not to Dustin's liking, why would it be to his?

Still, against all better judgments, Apollo took a bite.

Immediately after, he began coughing and sputtering. His mouth felt dry, something very difficult to feel when you didn't need much water yourself. It was difficult to swallow, and it tasted and felt like dirt.  
When he finally managed to get it down, he realized that Dustin was watching with a smirk.

"See what I mean?" The earthblood asked.

"Ugh.." Apollo coughed some more. "Now I'm glad I got what sunfires usually eat. That is disgusting!"

"Yep." The earthblood chuckled, setting the basket aside and offered a glass of water. Apollo turned it down quickly. He didn't need a drink that bad. At least not water. Sunfires didn't usually drink water.

"Honestly, just give me a fire pepper any day, I'll be fine." Tinker continued, only for a perplexed look to show on Dustin's face.

"...What's a fire pepper?"

 

* * *

 

Rainy woke to shouts.

Not pleasant shouts, like one would hear while playing a game of chase, but pained screams. Right next door, muffled by a wall. Dustin's room.

Rainy had heard that sound too many times in her life for her to do nothing.

Without hesitation or care, she dove into the water, the river was a simple circle that led to a pool in the back, then lead back.

It wasn't a difficult swim to reach the doorway. She practically created a spiral as she stretched her arms over her head and gave a powerful kick of her feet, the water catching the webs between her toes and propelling herself forward.

As soon as she reached the slab leading to the door, she pulled herself into it and got up, then grabbed a small cylinder from her bag. It had a lock keeping the two sides together, but she quickly unlocked it and threw it into the air, letting the tiny cylinder pop open to form a metal bo staff.

She spun it testingly as she turned and approached the earth door, then knocked frantically.

"Dustin?" She asked, knocking again. No response, except for the now-turned yells to get quieter. Muffled. "I'm coming in!"

Preparing for whatever she would see, Rainy turned the handle then opened the door.

She froze.

She hadn't expected to see Dustin sitting doubled over on the bed, holding his mouth with tears in his eyes, a pepper of some sort placed on the table beside him, with Apollo holding a cup of some bright yellow liquid inside.

What in the name of the ocean...

"It's sunberry juice." Apollo said quickly.

Rainy had no clue what to say about all this....

"What is going on?" Rainy finally demanded just as Astil arrived just behind her. Apollo was quick to answer, all but forcing the cup down Dustin's throat. "Dustin ate a fire pepper and he can't handle the burn."

"I can-" Dustin tried to argue, only to wince and drink some more of the yellow liquid.

Rainy tilted her head curiously, then perked up. "What's a fire pepper?" She asked.

Astil suddenly grabbed her shoulders and began leading her backwards away from the room, gentle but firm so Rainy couldn't get away. "Nope." The startouch announced. "We're not killing the oceanmist today."

 

* * *

 

His sword broke...

Runaan stared in disbelief at the shattered metal thrown all over the floor.

His sword...

He had just been training and he hit too hard-

Well now what was he supposed to do?? He couldn't just walk into the human kingdoms  
short one sword! Sure, he could easily use the other one, but he was duel wielder, two swords to fight with for close range, then a bow in long range. His entire fighting style would be challenged if he was missing a sword!

He scowled at the silvery remains, thinking of what to do... Two options. He could ask Shiana about providing a spare sword from the armory, but there was a chance it wouldn't meet the right criteria for it to fit as a good replacement sword and he couldn't spend the last three or so hours here looking for a single sword. The other option was to repair it somehow.

Somehow...

He could talk to a blacksmith about this but Runaan had no clue where the smiths worked in this mountain castle, and Shiana wasn't here to act as a guide. Runaan didn't know how to contact her either..

Well Tinker was supposed to be a blacksmith...

He didn't want to be a bother this soon after meeting the sunfire and learning his name, in fact he would rather avoid being seen as a person who needed much. He was a deadly moonshadow assassin, he couldn't be seen as someone who needed much from anyone. He'd have to set an example, since he was the only one of the group who had even crossed the border.

But these were desperate times...

With a sigh, he stood, then retrieved a broom and dustpan hidden in the corner and carefully swept the shards from the floor.

Carefully he carried the broken hilt and the full dustpan out to the hallway, then made his way to the sun room across the hall. He almost knocked, but paused moments before. The room was silent. Runaan had a feeling the sunfire wasn't in there.

That was when he heard a loud laugh from the earth room. Now that was Tinker. It was too much and bright to be Dustin or any earthblood and too masculine to be either of the girls.

Dammit, he really didn't want to announce to everyone that he had been careless enough to completely shatter his sword!

With a scowl but a defeated sigh, he approached the earthdoor, then gave a knock. He tried to stand straighter, and hold his head higher, instead of showing up with his tail tucked between his legs, but this situation was so embarrassing... He was supposed to represent all of the moonshadow elves whilst on this mission and here he was asking the sunfire to try to fix a weapon that probably couldn't be saved.  
Runaan felt so pathetic...

"Come in." Dustin called.

Runaan grimaced, before steeling himself and opening the door. He stood there for a moment, hesitating.

Tinker and Dustin were on the bed. Dustin was chugging a cup filled with a bright yellow liquid, Tinker was happily munching on some pepper with a bright smile.

With a hidden frown, Runaan spoke up. "Tinker, you're a blacksmith, correct?" He asked, trying to keep a controlled tone.

Dustin froze, then snorted and choked on his drink. Tinker's eyes widened with some sort of alarm. 

Dear lunis. Did he already know?

"Uh... yes..." the sunfire frowned, then slid off the bed and approached, eyes shifting from Runaan to the broken hilt. Right. "What happened?"

"I struck a training dummy too hard and the sword broke."

"... Yeah no doubt." The smith took the weapon carefully and looked over it with a focus that could melt the very metal he studied. 

"Is there anything you can do to fix it?" Runaan asked. "It's my only other sword, and it's crucial to my fighting."

Tinker was silent for a minute, before slowly shaking his head. "... There isn't much I can do." 

Runaan knew that, but surely something could be done. He needed this weapon balance out the other one. 

"Just... Try, please?" The sunfire looked up, and Runaan found himself catching onto the brilliant dark orange color of his eyes. Fiery by nature, but worried. 

Tinker gave a nervous frown, but softly murmured "...Of.. Course." 

A loud slap was heard behind them, Tinker jumped with a yelp. Runaan looked over Tinker's shoulder, at Dustin. The earthblood rubbed his temples with a sigh.

... Right. He was still here. 

"Where's Spiel and the girls?" Runaan cleared his throat and allowed Tinker to take the dustpan, then placed his arms behind his back in a nervous attempt to erase whatever awkwardness had formed especially for the earthblood. 

Dustin shrugged. "Girls are hanging out, last time I checked, maybe Spiel's with them? If not then he's still asleep." 

He better not be asleep. 

Runaan nodded. "Thank you." He said with a swift nod, before taking his leave and closing the door behind him. 

He looked across the hall at the star door next, then sighed. Well... Best to check every lead.. 

He took a breath, then trudged over to the other door. Before he had even lifted his hand the door opened.

Astil stood inside, looking a lot nicer and well kept this time. Rainy sat on the bed behind her, an entire brush stuck in her hair somehow.

Runaan didn't even want to ask. "Have you seen Speil?" He questioned. 

"Nope!" Rainy responded cheerily. 

Astil didnt spare Runaan a look. "Have you asked Dustin?"

"He and Tinker said they haven't seen Spiel this morning."

The startouch went silent, instead staring blanly at Rainy's hair for a long moment. Then, suddenly "He's still sleeping."

Did she just- No, no time. 

Runaan shook himself of any thought he had towards the startouch's actions. Spiel had to be woken up.

"Thank you." He said with a swift nod and turning away.

"Bye!" Rainy called as Runaan began closing the door. A pause, then "Wait, Tink-?"

The click of the door closing behind him sounded, but Runaan did not look back, instead opting to travel next door to the sky room.

He knocked once. No answer. 

Twice. Nothing.

Three had no result either. 

Of course not.

With a sigh, he opened the door, only to freeze as he caught sight of the room. Well, not a room as much as a large empty space in the middle of the room that climbed until the ceiling was barely within Runaan's sight range. 

...Fuck.

How was he going to get up? After some looking, it was clear he would need assistance if he couldn't find something else.

Large holes opened up from inside the walls like caves, blue light glowed from them, flickering like fire yet flashing like lightning, lighting up the entire room. The first few that he could see each had large nests big enough to let a full family sleep in with more room to spare. Though they were a good place to hang on to an edge, or even rest should the climb somehow become more challenging, the caves were far too spaced. If Runaan had both his swords, he could have stabbed through the wall and climbed that way, but one of course broke and one couldn't be trusted. Which meant that idea was no good. 

With no other option, Runaan sighed and began finding another solution.

One cave stood at ground level, low but with enough space to walk upright. 

It didn't take long for Runaan's keen eyes to find a hidden staircase in the back. So that was how he was supposed to get up. 

As an assassin, closed spaces was a great problem. It was dangerous to be in a space with no open room to move about. For an assassin, speed and agility was key to a quick kill but in a close battle with little room, an assassin could be defeated easier, and thus was more dangerous. Stairs were especially dangerous to fight on. One wrong move could send an assassin tumbling, and if they didn't recover quickly, they had just lost the fight. 

So of course Runaan felt apprehensive as soon as he saw how small the space was for the stairs.

He scolded himself before he could even admit he was even close to being afraid. Moonshadows did not fear. And furthermore, even worrying about a closed space was irrational. There would not be a fight. With that reminder, he took a breath, then ran into the staircase before he could think anything else. 

Moments after beginning to climb the stairs, Runaan caught sight of more blue light, like from each cave. He sped up in his climb, until he found himself in another cave-room. Runaan neared the edge of the room, then grabbed onto a hidden handle in the rock and leaned over the edge. He wasn't high off the ground, but he was, in fact, off the ground. He glanced back. Across from the stair in which he had just emerged from was another set. It was obvious, how the system worked. Good. What Runaan didn't like was how these stairs didn't seem to open up any more. But they were the only way to get up...

With a reluctant sigh, Runaan entered the narrow stairway again, and climbed until he reached the next level. Over and over he did this, making sure to check each nest for so much as a hint of Spiel's presence. By the time Runaan was half way up the large cylindrical room, he knew it would be for naught to search for Spiel on each level. 

Spiel had to be at the top. And if he was...

Runaan was ready to kill.

 

* * *

 

 "How'd you know he was there?" 

Astil hummed from where she sat behind Rainy, struggling to get the brush unstuck from the oceanmist's hair. For as pretty hair as the girl had, it was tangled beyond compare. Astil hadn't known until it was too late, and the brush was already stuck. But for as much a hassle as it was to free the poor brush, Rainy didn't even seemed to be phased by the sting of the brush being pulled out. So focused on her task, Astil had to take longer than she would prefer in order to realize what the other girl had said. As soon as she understood, she opened her mouth to speak, only for Rainy to gasp loudly. One thing that Astil couldn't decide was good or bad was the oceanmist's bright attitude, and easy excitability. 

"Did you _see_ him coming?" 

Astil stopped in her attempts, staring at the back of Rainy's head with an almost scowl. Bad. In this situation, bad. Simply because the girl seemed so happy about the idea that Astil could just _see_   as if it was no big deal.

"No," Astil replied with a hidden huff. "I heard Runaan speaking to Apollo and Dustin."

"What about Spiel?" 

"Probabilities." Astil answered simply. 

Rainy's ears twitched. "Oh.." She mumbled. 

... Did Astil upset her?

"What do you think star magic is?" Astil prompted, guilt swelling in her chest. Had she used too much emotion when answering after all? "Better yet, what do you think our 'seeing' ability is." As she prompted, she finally freed the brush, then began brushing lightly in hopes of de-tangling the hair. 

There was hardly any sound for a long moment. Astil couldn't see Rainy's face but she was sure if she could, it would be an expression of deep thought. Or... perhaps not _deep_ but certainly concentrated.

"I... Don't know." The girl answered at last, still quiet. Another silence, before Rainy gasped again, a sign that she was becoming excited about a topic again, then drummed on the bed excitedly. She turned back to Astil, brilliant blue eyes catching Astil's deep yellow. "Could you explain it to me?" She asked.

Oh dear... That would be rather difficult. 

"It will be very confusing." Astil warned, looking away quickly and carding a hand through the deep dark hair of the other.

"Just try?"

Astil made the mistake of looking up. As soon as she did, her eyes caught onto Rainy's again. She knew then she was captivated.

And absolutely screwed. 

"I... Could _try_."

Rainy giggled, _giggled_ , then nodded with a smile. "Whenever you're ready."

Astil suppressed a sigh, then began brushing again silently as she thought. Telling the future, in fact time itself, was complicated and confusing with many layers that required full understanding and comprehension before one could even attempt to peer into it. 

"There are three ways to tell the future." Astil started haltingly. The final knot on the first of three clumps of dark hair came free. She started on the second as she began explaining. "The most common- and most reliable- way among startouches is simply probability." Rainy's ears flicked. Astil nearly snorted with amusement. "Yes, probabilities. Mathematics. Startouches are good at sorting and solving math components. That makes it really easy to recognize probabilities and events."

The second knot heap came loose without much fighting. Astil smiled and continued.

"That was how I knew Runaan was coming this way to ask where Spiel was. Only five rooms, not counting his own. Two are empty, Two have noise coming from them. There was a small chance he would visit the silent rooms first, but otherwise it was a forty five to forty five percent chance that he would come to our room or Dustin's. From that would be a fifty fifty between the two rooms, the decision would be his own. He just so happened to pick the earth room first." The third knot came loose easier. Astil let the dark hair fall down Rainy's back again, and dropped her hands to her lap. "That was when I learned of what he planned. When he was turned away, it was a near hundred percent chance that he would choose our room next." 

She paused, then hummed and reached for a drawer by the bed. Swiftly, she pulled out a pale blue ribbon, then began braiding the oceanmist's hair. 

"The next option is less simple," She started again. "For it, I would have to explain how time works, which is confusing even to those who are connected to the star arcanum, much less those who are not." 

"Try."

A sigh escaped Astil's lips. "Very well. Time works as a tree, the trunk is one line, but with each new decision a branch is created. This branch creates another branch, and so on and so forth. each branch is a new timeline..." She looked at Rainy, trailing off when she noticed the oceanmist's light frown. "This isn't making any sense to you, is it?"

"Nope!"

Well... Points for honesty. 

Astil hummed, then pulled the braid loose, it just didn't fit the girl's personality, as she thought. "Think about time as a river." She tried again, this time beginning to wrap the blue-ish hair into a bun. She knew the bun would be even worse but she just felt she had to have something to do. "Ever flowing, always in one direction. That is how time works. But time is dictated by decisions and how they effect things. That is when a river comes to a fork or a split. Some decisions are small, and merely lead the river onto another course, some are large and may lead the river into a lake or turn it to a stream as it continues to flow, but it never truly stops moving."

She tied the ribbon around the bun, before shaking her head and removing it.

"Make sense now?" She asked. 

"A little."

A little would have to be good enough. "Well, startouches can essentially tap into that stream. This is where your 'seeing' word comes from. We can watch where the river goes, where it splits, where it rests, even where it meets a waterfall. But some of the rivers are bluer to us than the others. That bluer river shows us where we will go. Though this way is certainly more helpful than simple math, it takes meditation and focus to decide which river will be taken, and often the rivers shift before our very eyes as things begin to change. It's easy to become... Puzzled."

She finally sighed and put the hair into a loose ponytail, with the ribbon hanging alongside the dark hair, standing out and adding a gentle contrast. That... Seemed far more fitting. 

She took it down to retry, just as Rainy asked "And the third one?" 

"The third one..." Astil sighed. "That one is simpler to explain, but harder to experience." She pulled the hair up again, this time tieing it tight and adjusting it. "They're called Visions. They're extremely rare to have, a startouch considers themselves lucky to have one in their full lifetime. They are the most accurate way to tell time, but their messages can often become... Skewed. They're dreams, essentially, but of what is to come. Often times, though, a vision gets events that are similar mixed, some visions even lackfuture glimpses, and instead use figurative objects and feelings. They are the most reliable, but only if one is skilled enough to decipher them." She bat at the ponytail once, and let it sway, before humming and sitting back, satisfied. 

"Have you ever had a vision?" Rainy asked, turning around. Again with the eyes. 

Astil couldn't help a smile.

"No, not yet."

 

* * *

 

"His sword." 

"Tinker???" 

"His sword is...." 

Apollo stared in disbelief and panic at the moonshadow sword's hilt. Why had he agreed to this? Why was he so stupid?! He knew it was beyond compare. In fact it should have been retired long ago! 

"He- H-ha... He called you TINKER!" Dustin was breathless, laughing like a mad elf and rolling around Apollo's bed as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

The assassin's sword....

"Why- Why did he call you-"

The other one was possibly next....

Apollo sighed and banged his head against one of the walls, putting the hilt down and whining softly. Dear sol someone could come kill him and he'd thank them for it.... "Because I told him." He answered in a mumble. The laughing stopped.

"What?!" 

A huff escaped the sunfire's nose. "I _told_ him that that was my name."

There was a silence for a moment, then, in one final burst, Dustin collapsed into more loud cackling. 

Apollo's ears flicked, then drooped. he sighed. "Whatever, I should go... figure this out..." He gathered the destroyed sword, then made his way to the door. How was he supposed to fix a _shattered_ sword? The blade had already been compromised, to the point where it had been completely _destroyed_. There was so fixing it! Why was he trying?

Why couldn't he have just said _no_?! It was one word! And sure Runaan could've hated him for it but-

A hand on his shoulder drew Apollo out of his thoughts. He looked at the hand, involuntarily relaxing in response to the touch alone. Dustin was now behind him, looking concerned. "Apollo, wait. Sorry," The earthblood said. "I didn't mean to upset you, it's just..." Apollo shot him a look. Dustin slowly drew his hand back. "Okay, doesn't matter.

"Do you want me to call you that?"

Apollo's eyes widened, before he glared and nearly _growled._  "No."

"... Okay fine." Dustin shrugged "...Anyway I can help with the weapon problem then?"

"Do you have any skill with creating weapons?"

"Um... No."

Apollo crossed his arms. "Do you know the terms for blade types, metal combinations, and grinds?"

"... No?"

"Can you handle high temperatures and transfer solids to liquids using heat?"

"...What?" 

The sunfire sighed. "Can you melt metal?" He clarified with a dead tone. 

"Oh," Dustin smiled, then chuckled and flashed Apollo a smile. "Definitely."

 

* * *

 

Runaan was going to kill Spiel. 

He didn't know how just yet, breaking a sword was not worth petty revenge over a single skywing, but Spiel was dead.  

Well, it was partially his own fault too, Runaan supposed. He had greatly underestimated the amount of stairs. What was possibly one hundred was beginning to seem like one thousand. Not the best place to be if one was more than a little uncomfortable with such tight spaces. 

Who's brilliant idea was it to put close spaces in the _sky_ room anyway?

Runaan continued running up the stairs, first two by two, then three by three as he tried to speed up the time spent on the retched things. Each time he saw an opening he always let the hope that _this would be it_ take over his every step. Yet each time he found a cave, and _more_ stairs.

Every few caves he wold peek out and count how many were left. They went in a spiraled circle up the walls. He nearly fell when he could finally count them. He barely managed to catch himself on a hidden handle carved into the stone. After that, his climb was far more rigorous as he counted down with each stair he finished, fueled by excitement of reaching the top and serving justice to the one who made him do this. 

Three....

Two....

Runaan darted up the final set of stairs, almost cheering but allowing himself to fall silent instead.

One.

He rested a hand on the wall as he ascended the final step, breathing heavily after his run. 

As he looked around, he was slightly taken aback by this particular room. It was larger, for starters. It retreated farther back than the former ones. Lanterns with what looked like trapped lightning inside them hung from the top of the cave, contrasting heavily with the deep orange light glowing from the very back of the cave. A ledge stuck out from the edge of the cave, creating a platform to stand on. 

In the middle of the smaller room sat a large nest, padded with a cloud-like substances far as Runaan could tell, but most of the nest was hidden, covered instead by large wings spread over the edges. The white to brown gradient of the feathers, alongside the goggles sitting on the edge of the nest, it wasn't hard to identify Spiel.

The skywing's bags were haphazardly thrown around the nest, and Runaan found one of Tinker's bags all the way to the back of the cave, where he orange light came from. 

Runaan approached the bag, finding that the back of the cave didn't reach the wall. Instead, another ledge hung over a long drop, longer than the one opposite to it at the front of the room. This one had river of lava flowing at the bottom, lighting the entire cavern in which it stayed. 

Immediately disturbed by the idea of this entire room practically being a teeter-totter of stone, he took the bag and retreated, and reached over to roughly shake Spiel.

"Spiel," The assassin demanded. "Get up." 

No response. No acknowledgement. 

Dear lunis... "Spiel!" He shouted this time, shaking harder. He didn't have the patience for this. 

Again, no response. 

Runaan huffed and crossed his arms. It was like he was dead to the world..

Was he dead? 

The assassin reached down and felt the skywing's pulse on his neck, then pulled away as soon as he felt a steady beat. Okay, good. But he was still sleeping.

Runaan looked over the unconscious body as he thought about what to do. Obviously it would be pointless... 

His attention was caught and kept as he caught sight of a single feather sticking up from the rest of the smooth, well-kept ones. With white near the bottom, and brown near the top, it went against everything the others were.

It was as if it was calling for him. 

Well... if nothing else worked then this would have to.

 

* * *

 

"Kill me..."

Dustin grumbled as the sunfire whined. At first, it had been funny. Now the constant complaining was getting on his nerves. Or perhaps it was all the waiting to heat the metal... How long was this supposed to take? It felt like forever already!

"Why did it even come to this point?" 

After half an hour of this, Dustin was at his last nerve. "How about you just tell him you can't do it?" He suggested with an impossibly high pitch as his annoyance bled through. 

The sunfire froze from where he worked the metal to combine the blade again. He looked shocked. 

Was it really that shocking??? "Look, obviously the weapon can't be fixed. And obviously, you're too scared to tell Runaan that," Or even that Apollo's name isn't Tinker... "But you _need_ to tell him. You're putting us all in danger if you don't." 

Apollo put the sword down, suddenly, then turned to glare at Dustin. "You don't think I know that? Look, I'm trying. I said I'd _try_. I'm going to look for  way to fix it, even if it is impossible without a magical solut-" He stopped abruptly, looking as if he had been struck. 

Dustin rolled his eyes. "What?"

"-Can you run an errand for me?"

A sigh escaped Dustin's lips. "Yeah, sure," Better than listening to Apollo complain... "What is it?"

As soon as Dustin had asked, Apollo grabbed a sheet of paper and an ink quill from a drawer beside the bed, then began writing. Dustin watched the sunfire scribble and cross out multiple words before writing out more. Dustin cringed internally, just seeing the sloppiness of the handwriting was enough to make him apprehensive. 

He took the paper once it was offered, then looked at it. It was barely legible, the words almost like scribbles itself. Wild, uneven, some letters were capitalized, some weren't... Dustin was no perfectionist but by the earth's very core, damn...

"Here are instructions to get to the forge. Ask the smiths there about a fire ruby."

"How do you know how to get th-" 

Apollo cut him off with a halting shrug. "As I said, I've been to the border once or twice." He looked almost haunted for a moment, Dustin realized. The earthblood opened his mouth, prepared to ask, only for Apollo to shake his head with a forced smile. "Just follow the instructions." He took Dustin by the shoulders, then steered him to the door. Dustin could do nothing but comply in the surprisingly strong grip of the smith. 

With a spared grumble, Dustin clutched the barely legible paper, then left the room.

 

* * *

 

The loud shout the skywing made echoed throughout the cave-room. Runaan flicked his ears, barely refraining from wincing at the noise level. Instead, he scowled, twisting the one feather around in his fingers.

"The blazing feathers was that for?!" Spiel demanded, stretching out the wing that was now missing a feather. 

Runaan rolled his eyes. "You needed to wake up."

"Well you could've just shaken me," Spiel huffed, pouting as he reached to the 'assulted' wing and lifted the feathers around the gap with an open palm. How did he even manage to reach like that? Sure, he curved his wings so the spot was closer, but they were still very large and he was literally having to reach practically onto his back...

Runaan raised a brow, adjusting his crossed arms so he could better hold the feather. "I _tried_ to wake you the normal way. I shook your shoulder twice, even yelled at you a few times. It did nothing."

"That's... Not the right way."

Hold the fuck up. What? Was he serious? "Yes, it is." Runaan insisted. 

"Nope."

"Ye-" Runaan caught himself. Why was he arguing over something to ridiculous? It made no sense...

With a scoff, he rolled his eyes and made his way back to the staircase. "I suppose we both hold our opinions, but that is how I plan to wake you each time you don't wake when you're supposed to."

He made a move to take a step down, but stopped as Spiel suddenly said "Wait," Like any reasonable person, Runaan turned to look back at the quizical looking skying. "You're taking that way?"

"What other way is there?" Runaan narrowed his eyes as Spiel subtly looked over the edge of the platform. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?" 

Did he really have to explain this?! "Because I can't fly," Runaan reminded through gritted teeth. His frustration was rising. But when Spiel began laughing, the frustration gave way to his own confusion. "What's so funny?" He asked with a defensive glare.

"Nothing, just-" More quiet laughter. "-Of course you can't fly." Spiel stepped dangerously close to the edge, wings already spreading. "But I can~"

"Your point?"

"I can just," Spiel shrugged. "Fly us both down."

No. Absolutely no way was Runaan trusting Spiel that much.

As soon as Spiel suggested it, Runaan shot out an "I'd rather the stairs." Before turning away again and beginning his decent. 

"Why not?" Spiel called behind him. 

 Runaan gave no answer.

  

* * *

 

 Apollo felt about ready to cry over this sword...

In order to fix a weapon, or any item, using magic one had to first assemble every piece of it in a way that at least mirrors how the original weapon should look. He had only one piece left to place when a loud shout echoed from the hallway. In Apollo's alarm, he slipped, sliced a considerable sized cut into forearm, and in the process knocked over the entire sword and shattering it again. 

... Yeah he was probably gonna cry...

"Hey Apollo?" 

Apollo instantly looked up, to the doorway where Rainy poked her head in. When she saw him, she tilted her head and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Did he worry her?? He didn't want to worry her. "Nothing!" He said quickly, forcing a smile and popping back up from where he landed on the floor. He clapped a hand over his bleeding wound, then tried to back away as if to use the distance to make it harder for the oceansmist to see the blood. "Just... blacksmithing troubles." 

It didn't as well as he had hoped. Rainy's eyes widened. "You're bleeding." She stated, freezing for just a moment, before rushing forward and taking his injured arm. 

Apollo tried to pull away, insisting "I'm fine!" But Rainy was surprisingly strong for a tiny oceanmist, and she practically yanked his arm out as she inspected it. Apollo, for his part, stayed rooted where he was and just watched her practically glare at the cut. He had only known her for a day at the most but this act seemed a little ut of place for someone who usually seems so cheery. 

Finally, Rainy stopped focusing solely on Apollo's arm and instead turned to the door. All she needed was a few tugs for Apollo to be dragged out into the hall. Astil stood just inside her door, looking out and at the sky door. "Hey, 'stil?" Rainy asked just as Apollo went rigid. Did she _have_ to tell Astil? 

The startouch took one look at Apollo, before simply nodding and retreating into the room. 

What was going on now?

Apollo peered into the room nervously, then stepped in. Rainy didn't stop him, and instead let him go.

It was dark, with many deep purples and lilacs. The bed was the same size as his and Dustin's, but decorated with a canopy of dark purple hanging over the bed from tall golden and black poles. The floor was a swirl of blues mixed with blacks and just enough teal to make it stand out. The ceiling was dark with what nearly looked like stars, if not for the way their light was constant and unwavering.

Astil stood beside the bed, going through a drawer and placing multiple ribbons on the bed, most purples and blacks, a few grays. She stopped when she pulled out a gold ribbon. 

She set that on the bed, then placed the others back in the drawer. Finally she came over to Apollo, then handed him the ribbon. "I'm sure you know what to do." 

Apollo gave her a weird look, before sighing and thanking her, than leaving. Rainy almost followed him into his own room again, but apparently she stopped because as soon as he shut the door, no one else bothered him.

Apollo was used to this sort of thing, at least. After spending most of his life surrounded by countless dangerous weapons and tools, accidents were bound to happen, especially considering Apollo's specific skill of being a klutz. It didn't take long for him to clean the cut up, wincing at the size of the gash. He quickly used the ribbon Astil handed to him, wrapping it tightly around his arm until the cut was completely covered. 

Once that was done, he peeked his head out of the room, again finding Astil in the doorway watching the sky door, while Rainy watched Apollo's door. Her eyes immediately went back to his arm when she saw. She relaxed after a moment. "Did you already clean it?" The oceanmist asked, just as a loud thud came from the sky door. She tensed again, then, immediately looking to the sky door. Apollo did the same.

Things were silent. Then, with a loud bang, the door flew open. A gust of wind flooded out, nearly knocking Apollo over. He gave a yelp, then stumbled back just as Spiel stepped out. He set his bags, and Tinker's bag, on the ground beside his feet.

"Mornin." The skywing said with a smile, just as Rainy giggled and stepped forward. As if she wasn't affected at all by what just happened. In fact, her hair was now abnormally tousled and twisted unlike the gentle waves from before. It didn't take much to disrupt that flow huh?

"Hey!" Rainy said. "Nearly gave me a heart attack there." She practically trotted up, clutching her chest as if her best necklace had been stolen just then. "Look! Astil did my hair." 

Wow. She acted exactly like an excited child...

As the two continued to babble on about Rainy's hair, then their beds, and almost anything else one could discuss in under three minutes, Apollo instead shifted his gaze to Astil, who watched Rainy specifically with a slight pout. 

"Um... Hi." Apollo said with a nervous wave. She looked over, then hummed. Her expression changed from the pout to neutral like usual.

"Hello." 

"I.. Um... Wanted to thank you. For stopping me from... being left behind-" Apollo felt the heat rise to his cheeks. She didn't seem much for conversation. Was he bothering her? He knew he wasn't the best with his words, especially when he was the one starting the conversation... "Sorry, I- Uh..."

"It's alright." Astil assured. "It's understandable. Though if you are looking for someone to  pass the time of the journey with, I would suggest you befriend them." She nodded to Rainy's back. "Sky and Ocean are the most open sources after all."

Um... 

Apollo managed a nervous smile. "Thanks."

He stepped away, retreating back to his door. Well Rainy and Spiel were in a conversation so... best not to interrupt. 

Not that he had to wait for that conversation to end very long. About a minute later, Spiel finally clapped once, a sound that echoed through the hall. "So," He looked to Astil, then Apollo, before continuing "I need all of you to look like really mad at Runaan when he comes down."

"What did he- do?" Apollo asked, voice growing softer as he asked. Astil gave him a side glance, Rainy tilted her head. Spiel was at least smiling. 

Had he missed something?

"The asshole ripped out my feather." Spiel answered, lifting a wing and spreading it. True to his word, right in the middle of the wing, a considerable gap made itself known among the otherwise neat feathers. 

"The _asshole_ can also hear better than an owl."

Spiel jumped with surprise, making a loud squawking noise. He gave a powerful flap of his wings, making him rise almost all the way to the ceiling, before he landed a good distance away from the sky door, nearly all the way to the earth door. Behind where he had been, Runaan stood instead, with narrowed eyes and folded arms. He was breathing rather hard, though it was difficult to see due to him wearing at least three layers, one of which was a long coat-like thing with no sleeves... What purpose did that serve anyway? Wait, did he run-

"Well am I wrong?" Spiel asked with his own huff. "You woke me up by plucking a feather," He held out one hand and counted one there. "You walk around as if you have a grudge against everything that even _moves_ -"

Runaan rolled his eyes and interrupted before Spiel could continue. "I don't care."

Oof. Wrong words.

The mild annoyed aura Spiel had changed to something hostile then. Apollo backed away, further into his room. He all but slammed the door as shouting started. 

No, he was not dealing with that right now. 

He took one look at the broken sword, then all but fell to the floor. 

Why did Riku have to choose him to go?

 

* * *

 

Usually, Dustin was good with underground halls. Earthbloods always had a sense of direction when it came to being deep beneath the earth's surface. But here? Following the chicken scratched directions of a sunfire who was so nervous about saying no to a moonshadow that he was willing to fix a sword that he openly said was impossible to fix??? 

Dustin was lost.

He scoffed and looked around the large hall desperately for any hints as of where to go next. This was the end of the direction list. And though it was hard to decipher, Dustin was not going to retrace his steps again. He wasn't wrong about his translations of the terrible writing. There was only one instruction left on the paper, to turn right at the furthest door, but Dustin had gone into every door in the large hall and there was no signs in any of them that anyone had even set foot in them in years. Much less the one he was told to enter. That one looked like it was seconds away from crumbling. In fact, Dustin could  _feel_  it in the very earth surrounding him.

"Can I help you?" 

Dustin turned suddenly with alarm, finding himself face to face with Shiana. He stumbled back, only to gain balance again once he was a good enough distance away to do so, it wasn't lost on him the way she tilted her head just a notch at his quick recovery, but he spared little time caring over his own surprised embarrassment for being so caught off guard. "Hey!" He shouted indignantly. "A little warning next time you sneak up on me like that?" 

"I'm a moonshadow, remember?" She pointed out, crossing her arms with a subtle huff. "It's as natural an instinct as your directional skills. Though," She paused, looking down at the paper Dustin held, then at the surrounding hall. With a barely hidden grin she added "It seems you may be lacking in those skills currently..." Dustin opened his mouth to retort, only to get a shake of Shiana's head. "Oh well, that doesn't matter. Where are you looking for?"

The retort was wiped away from Dustin's mind as he looked down at the paper himself. He didn't need the help, he could figure this out on his own. But... What if Apollo was wrong? "I'm looking for the sunfire's forge here. Apollo sent me."

The moonshadow lifted her eyebrows with a near snort, before narrowing her eyes more. "What exactly does he need from there?"

"Runaan's sword broke." 

A pause. Dustin stared at Shiana just as she stared at him, looking shocked. "How broke?"

"Shattered."

A longer pause, before the light scowl on her lips slowly transformed into that of a barely restrained smile. "So your sunfire's trying to fix a sword that-"

"Yep."

"Dear moon watch over his poor soul..." Shiana muttered, before turning her back to Dustin. When she spoke again, she had the same condescending voice as usual. "Well, your sunfire friend was correct about where the sunfire's forge _used_  to be located."

" _Used to be?_ " Dustin demanded, just as Shiana began walking with long strides through the halls, at first retracing Dustin's own path, but soon branching away and taking her own. He could do nothing but follow and keep track of which direction they headed. 

"Yes. After a major fire in the old forge, where your friend had sent you, it was agreed upon by the guards, the builders, even king Avizandium himself that the forge be moved somewhere more fitting and far less able to be caught on fire." Soon, the pair was descending multiple flights of stairs, each one seemingly getting hotter and hotter. It was near the bottom when he realized why. 

They were inside a cavern, with many rivers of deep glowing orange flowing through every crack and crevice. The heavy sound of metal against metal and rock rang through the cavern, fires danced and smoke rose. Tools, tables, and furnaces took up every space, and where a little bit more space was found, weapons of all sorts, shapes, and sizes claimed it. 

Sunfires, most old but some fairly young, worked diligently in their craft, some hammered away at a blade of some sort, some were making sword handles. The noises all rang together, creating some sort of rhythmic song that seemed to trap Dustin in it.

So caught up in all of this, Dustin hardly noticed when Shiana turned around and began walking off. Only when she shouted "Good luck!" Over her shoulder did Dustin's haze fade enough for him to whip around enough in time to watch her ascend the steps again. 

"Hey!" He shouted, voice barely rising above all the noise. "Where are you going!?"

"To finish what I was supposed to be doing all along."

"How am I supposed to find my way back?!"

A pause. Dustin was almost sure she was gone. Until, very faintly, very distant, Shiana responded with "Find the phoenix insignia's holder, Anvar. He'll help you from here." That was all Dustin got, before her voice faded completely and he was left alone at the bottom of the stairs surrounded by weapons, lava, and-

"Do ya need something?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I hadn't meant for this chapter to take so long but i'm now balancing school, work, and my terrible home life so It's making things rough. That and this chapter was almost 10,000 words all on its own.  
> So this chapter was mainly for learning about the other characters, as well as exploring some things in the castle. The next chapter will probably be called Tinker Pt. 3 and explain the final reactions and adjustments to tinker's name. Nothing much else to note so I hope you all enjoy the story so far. Hopefully there won't be as long a wait for chapter 6!


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